REPORr OF THE DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE ON KOKESTRV. I41 



approximate size, tal<ing into consideration the capabilities ot 

 the soil as exemplified in the existing woods, where there arc 

 any. A survey of this character would be neither difficult nor 

 costly, and would not be apt to fall out of date.^ It would 

 merely indicate on a map the areas physically and economically 

 best suited to afforestation. New areas would be added as 

 they were discovered. The areas so marked would not, in any 

 sense, be hypothecated to silviculture. They would be kept in 

 view for that purpose, but forestry would have to give way, 

 as it always must, to any practicable scheme of agricultural 

 development. 



The object of the survey should be twofold : — 



(i) To gauge roughly the extent of the field for afforestation 



in Scotland. 

 (2) To make sure that the beginnings were made in the 

 most favourable districts. 



The Government is at present absolutely without information 

 under either of these heads.- It seems scarcely businesslike to 

 touch the subject at all without taking steps to obtain this 

 elementary information. 



A flying survey might be organised in many different ways. 

 We prefer to follow the suggestion of the Development Com- 

 missioners that it should be linked with the work of the Demonstra- 

 tion Forest. We therefore recommend that it should be placed 

 under the direction of the Demonstration Forest Board, unless a 

 Board of Agriculture for Scotland is created and includes a 

 Department of Forestry, in which case we are of opinion that it 

 should be under the immediate direction of that Department. 

 We do not see how the staff of the Demonstration Forest could 

 itself undertake the work, unless it were specially increased for 

 the purpose ; nor would it be wise to relegate to students a task 

 which particularly demands experience. We have considered 

 the question of entrusting the survey to the Advising forest- 

 officer (see 24), but we doubt if he would have time to undertake 

 it. We therefore suggest the appointment, for a limited number 



1 An elaborate survey or forest project, such as that recently made under the 

 auspices of the Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society for the Glen Mor District, 

 would, as the Development Commissioners point out, be apt to fall out of 

 date. The need for such a survey will not arise except in the case of areas 

 which it is actually proposed to afforest. 



- Information on the first point is practically limited to the statistics given 

 in Appendix ii. 



