EVELYN AND THE ROYAL SOCIETY 27 



thorough awakening to the dangerous situation only 

 too necessary. The action of the Royal Society and 

 their member, Evelyn, aroused the nation, and a 

 large amount of planting was undertaken during 

 the next decade. Even in 1678, four years after 

 the publication of the Sylva, Evelyn was able to 

 report to the King that millions of trees had been 

 planted. The result of this crusade is even more 

 interesting. A hundred years later, the fact that 

 there was sufficient timber in the country for the 

 construction of the ships of the Royal Navy was 

 publicly 'acknowledged to be due to the planting 

 undertaken in the reign of Charles II. on the initia- 

 tive of the Royal Society. It is equally certain that 

 most if not all of the ships which fought the battle 

 of Trafalgar, and which previous to this had secured 

 the Command of the Seas, were built of timber planted 

 at the revival period dating from the publication 

 of the Sylva. 



Curiously enough, or more probably as a direct 

 outcome of the stirring times of the latter part of the 

 eighteenth century and early part of the nineteenth, 

 planting had again fallen into desuetude. There 

 was an attempt at a revival, since at a time when 

 the French were challenging our command of 

 the seas it was as much needed as ever. During 

 this period the newly founded Society of Arts 

 offered premiums and medals to those sowing the 

 greatest areas of land. But from 1820 onwards 

 planting of woods as a commercial proposition 

 ceased. And the reasons are easily traceable. After 

 Trafalgar, with the command of the seas assured, 

 3 



