148 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
4 
already taken up by farms or plantations, and little remains to 
be done in the way of extensive afforestation. 
The next point to consider is the proportion of waste land 
which appears suitable for profitable planting. Conclusions 
arrived at on this point must at first be regarded as of a prelimin- 
ary nature only, but in a general way a little experience soon 
enables one to estimate, approximately, of course, the general 
value of waste land for planting purposes. Practically bare rock, 
exposed hill summits, ground covered with deep peat, elevated 
slopes facing the prevailing wind, and, generally speaking, all 
land over 1500 feet above sea-level, exclusive of river valleys, 
may be considered unfit for successful afforestation, exceptions, 
of course, simply proving the rule. A fair topographical know- 
ledge of a district is usually sufficient to enable one to judge of 
the advisability of proceeding with or discontinuing the work of 
investigation, and if more than half the waste land of a district 
appears unsuitable for planting, or compact blocks from 500 to 
1000 acres in extent cannot be found, it may be unwise to 
proceed further with it. 
Another point of importance is the accessibility of an area, 
and its proximity to industrial centres, good roads, railways or 
waterways. It is a common contention that a sufficient and 
steady supply of good timber will always create a market, and in 
a general way this is probably correct. But even then, the cost 
of transport to a consuming centre has to be reckoned with, and 
unless natural facilities for this exist, the price obtained for the 
timber is often too low to allow a profit to be made on it. Good 
roads with easy gradients are probably of the first importance in 
this country, either for horse, steam or motor traction. In hill 
districts canals are usually out of the question, and rivers too 
shallow to be turned to account unless for stationary machinery. 
The existence of good main roads‘or railways will enable timber 
to be sold at some profit, other things being equal, for feeders to 
the main thoroughfares can always be provided when required, 
given sufficient timber to justify their cost. In the absence of 
any facilities for timber removal, it becomes, of course, a 
question whether the skill of the forest engineer can provide them 
at a justifiable cost at a later date, and the question of cost 
depends almost entirely upon the class of timber the land can 
produce. If only a small yield of an inferior quality appears 
possible, it is very doubtful if timber-growing, under present 
