THE LEASING SYSTEM 159 



mercial forestry can only be a comparatively small 

 proportion of the land it is desirable should be 

 afforested. The State's duty with reference to the 

 remaining areas where afforestation is urgent should 

 proceed by way of the supervision by properly 

 trained forest officers of the newly planted tracts, 

 once they have been planted with State assistance. 

 And the acquisition of the land for planting will 

 probably be best accomplished by leasing the land 

 required. 



The leasing system offers several advantages both 

 to State and owner. The State is not burdened at 

 a heavy cost with considerable areas of land which 

 it would be impossible to afforest all at once, and 

 part of which it may be impossible to plant up for 

 a long period of years. The owner retains possession 

 of his land, which is only taken up as required, and 

 when acquired enjoys the advantages of an ordinary 

 lease. The ownership remains the same throughout* 

 without the very often resultant upheaval which 

 follows the transfer of land to a new purchaser. 



The leasing method has been under consideration 

 for the past eight years by the Development Com- 

 missions and Boards of Agriculture, and some in- 

 stances of the acceptance of offers of this nature are 

 already in actual practice. But for the incidence 

 of the war they would be far more abundant. 



The leasing system may be by way of an ordinary 

 lease under which the lessee enjoys full ownership 

 of the land for a period of years or by a proceeds- 

 sharing lease. In this latter the owner forgoes his 

 rental, bears a share in the maintenance of the 



