4 THE NEW FORESTRY. 



is not the climate that constitutes the difference but the system 

 followed, both German and French practice being similar and 

 equally unlike ours. 



One great drawback to good forestry in this country is the 

 great number of small estates on which the extent of woods is 

 too small to employ a skilled forester, and which are neglected 

 accordingly, though contributing largely to the supply of 

 home-grown timber felled annually. Great mistakes are made 

 and losses sustained on such small estates in the planting and 

 tending, and in the selling of the timber periodically disposed 

 of for the benefit of the proprietor. We have known many 

 flagrant examples of this kind. A very little knowledge of 

 forestry, or a little assistance from a qualified forester, would 

 prevent such mistakes and failures, or, as in Germany (where 

 many of the common and other w T oods not belonging to the 

 State are supervised by a Government forest officer), a number 

 of small estates containing timber might combine to secure 

 the occasional services of a competent forester at a trifling cost 

 to each owner and much to his advantage. County Councils 

 now provide horticultural and agricultural teachers, and there 

 is no reason why they should not take similar steps with regard 

 to forestry. The writer is quite sure, from careful enquiry into 

 the matter both in this country and abroad, that some such 

 provision as this would result in an improved state of affairs 

 and an enormous increase, before long, in the quantity of 

 timber produced and improvement in its quality and value. 



Another question of far-reaching consequence to the 

 owners of woods is that of game preservation on well-wooded 

 estates. Until a radical reformation is made in the present 

 system of gamekeeping, in connection with the management 

 of woods and plantations, there will be difficulty in carrying out 

 any system of forestry to a successful issue. The subject has 

 not been as fully dealt with in forestry books as it might be, 

 and a chapter is devoted to it in this work in which the state of 

 affairs is explained and suggestions offered for the future. 



Some readers of the following chapters may probably think 

 that too much has been said upon the errors and mistakes of 

 past forestry practice and its advocates in this country. The 

 reply to this is that it was felt to be necessary to explain old 

 and utterly wrong methods, and dispose of them, before recom- 

 mending new ones, because old methods have got a grip of 

 the rank and file of foresters and their employers and have 

 been followed too unquestioningly and too long. The author 

 believes, and has been assured by competent judges, that our 



