ON THE TIMBER SUPPLY OV AUSTRALIA. 117 



Secretary of State for India to the Governor in Council, Madras, 

 dated the 24th day of April 1863 : "To forests, from their nature, 

 the usual maxim of political economy, which leaves such under- 

 takings to private enterprise, cannot be applied. Their vast 

 extent, the long time that a tree takes to reach maturity, and the 

 consequence that few persons live long enough to obtain any, and 

 more especially the highest returns for expenditure, even once in 

 the course of their lives, are proofs of the necessity that forest 

 management should be conducted on permanent principles, and 

 not be left to the negligence, avarice, or caprice of individuals, 

 and therefore point to the State as the proper administrator, bound 

 to take care that in supplying the wants of the present generation 

 there is no reckless waste, no needless forestalling of the supply of 

 future generations. This is a matter of experience, not in India 

 only, but in all other countries of the world." We must at once 

 admit that here also the principal causes preventing at present the 

 planting of forest trees on a really large scale are : (1.) The want of 

 capital to wait for a return, and the necessity of incurring mean- 

 while the further expense of tending and protecting any such 

 plantation as long as the same capital and labour devoted to grain- 

 growing or sheep-farming bring a more immediate and a more 

 certain, probably for some years even a larger profit. (2.) The 

 physical unsuitability of certain districts, at least at present, for 

 the successful growth of forest trees, unless at a great risk and too 

 great cost. But if we neglect this matter much longer, the ques- 

 tion of reproduction of forests may have to be taken up under such 

 adverse circumstances, even in the more favourable districts, as to 

 baffle all our attempts by either private enterprise or the Govern- 

 ment, unless at a ruinous expense. Enlightened nations fully 

 appreciate their duty to posterity, and will provide with keen fore- 

 thought beforehand what cannot be called forth at any time at 

 will. I can fully agree with the £>roposal of our Surveyor-General 

 (Mr Goyder) to establish at first in various parts of the colony, on 

 the Forest Reserves, nurseries of forest trees. Irrespective of their 

 necessity for the plantations by the Government, they will give 

 great encouragement to private plantations. Seeds or seedlings 

 might be supplied either gratis, if planted by public bodies, or at 

 a cheap rate, and the young plants would be in less danger than 

 if they had to be carried perhaps one hundred or several hundred 

 miles from Adelaide or Melbourne. Before, however, entering 

 upon the subject of establishing these nurseries here, it may be 



