CONCLUSION. 79 



2. Under a well-framed scheme large areas of land can 



be afforested without serious injury to existing 

 interests and means of employment, and without 

 imposing any undue burden on the local rate- 

 payers. 



3. Afforestation on the lines suggested would, eventually, 



not only pay its way, but bring in a considerable 

 return to the Forest Authority. [The writers have 

 refrained from making any forecast of ultimate 

 profits. They prefer to rely on the incontestable 

 evidence of results already obtained at Aldourie, 

 Dochfour, Glenmoriston, Invergarry, Invergloy and 

 Achnacarry to prove that profitable crops of timber 

 can be grown in the district. It is a fair deduction 

 from the results yielded by, or now visible in, 

 plantations not always scientifically managed, and 

 in no case under continuous control that improved 

 silvicultural methods, practised under a regular 

 working-plan, will give returns even more satisfactory 

 than those already realised.] 



4. A great deal of permanent and periodic employment 



will be given by the establishment of Forest Centres, 

 and the periodic employment will be at the time 

 of year and of a nature especially suited to small 

 holders. 



5. There is no reason for delay either in the commencement 



of the Surveys (General and Particular) or in the 

 establishment of one or more Forest Centres. 



6. The final and conclusive test of the value of afforestation 



must be its ability or inability to improve the existing 

 condition of a given district as to population, 

 employment and economic returns. If, by means 

 of afforestation on a financially sound basis, land 

 which is too poor to cultivate can be made to give 

 more employment, and support a larger population 

 than it is capable of doing under pastoral or 

 sporting conditions, then the future of afforestation, 



