50 REVIVAL OF FORESTRY 



prospects as a commercial business. And who can be 

 surprised at their doubts ? There were 3,000,000 acres 

 of woods in the country, representing a considerable 

 amount of capital. Yet in no instance, so far as 

 they were aware, could these woods be shown to be 

 a commercially profitable investment. They were 

 not being managed on a commercial basis, and their 

 owners for the most part were pessimistic or openly 

 incredulous on the proposition that forestry could 

 pay in Britain. Properly kept forest accounts were 

 non-existent. There were no records, no trust- 

 worthy records, available. The Crown forests were, 

 up to quite recently, in the same case as the rest of 

 the areas in the country. And the few proprietors 

 who took a real interest in the matter, openly 

 admitted that something was radically wrong with 

 British forestry. Latterly they were of opinion 

 that it was education that was required. In this 

 they were perfectly correct, and in this direction a 

 much-belated start had been made. But the pro- 

 prietors as a body had no solution to offer as 

 regards the prospects of forestry itself and no faith 

 in its commercial possibilities. The majority were 

 not prepared to sink capital in it themselves, 

 although some of them were of opinion that there 

 might be a case for public funds being utilised 

 for the purpose. This being the position, perhaps 

 it is not to be wondered at that the Government 

 moved very cautiously in a matter in which those 

 who actually owned the woods and the derelict 

 waste lands of Britain were not prepared, from one 

 cause or another, to take action themselves. 



