RELATION OF FORESTRY TO AGRICULTURE, ETC. I39 



'* In some estates where the woods are, after a certain age, 

 given over to the tenants for grazing and shelter for their farm 

 stock for the payment of a small yearly rent, there is a great 

 clamouring for this, even for a small corner, just for the shelter 

 alone. I admit after a while they become lukewarm, and 

 sometimes forget to pay any rent, but this is only in rare cases, 

 and one has only to mention that the wood will be closed against 

 farm stock to cause a fearful wail. 



" I only mention these facts to show the general opinion held 

 with regard to forestry, and this being more or less favourable 

 there is no need to question the desirability of going on with 

 any scheme." 



Dr Borthwick said: — "There is no doubt in our minds 

 that agriculture, whether it is practised on the large farm 

 or small holding, can be more successfully carried out in 

 connection with afforestation. In the highlands of Europe, 

 wherever grazing lands exist, it has been found that a certain 

 amount of protection forest is absolutely necessary to preserve 

 the grazing area. Experience has shown that the destruction of 

 the forest cover on those high grazing grounds has invariably 

 led to the total destruction of the grazing lands themselves, and, 

 unfortunately, the matter did not end there, but much damage 

 was also done to the lower and more fertile lands through 

 which the main rivers flow, on account of the liability of those 

 rivers to become suddenly flooded. Very stringent laws are 

 now in force regarding the maintenance of a proper balance 

 between the area of protection forest and grazing land. 



" We, in this country, have not seen the vast changes which 

 undoubtedly must have occurred when the natural forest which 

 clothed our hills was destroyed, but we have abundant examples 

 in Southern France, Switzerland, the Tyrol, and also in America 

 that wherever high grazing land exists a sufficient amount of 

 forest cover is necessary for its preservation. My point is that 

 in those countries it has been demonstrated beyond all doubt 

 that, wherever the forest cover has been destroyed through 

 ignorance or avarice, inestimable damage has been done to 

 agricultural lands. If we wish to improve our present agri- 

 cultural lands, and to extend their area, we must of necessity 

 restore the balance which nature demands by re-establishing 

 the forests which were destroyed in earlier times. If this were 

 done, then great advantages would directly and indirectly 



