AVERAGE RETURNS FROM CONIFEROUS CROPS ON MOUNTAIN LAND 



107 



Now, in thus taking an average a technical error is 

 committed, if all the resultant averages are regarded as 

 bearing a correct relation to each other. But, for all 

 practical purposes, it may be stated that, according to 

 the prices of timber prevailing at the present time, 

 Larch, Norway Spruce, and Scots Pine, if grown under 

 a 50-year rotation, upon selected mountain land at an 

 average altitude of about 900 feet above sea-level, 

 will yield a crop of about 2350 cubic feet (quarter 

 girth measurement) per acre, and will be worth about 

 40, which, at 3J per cent, interest, represents a loss of 

 rent equal to 6d. to 9d. per acre per annum, supposing 

 that the cost of planting, fencing, and " beating up," etc., 

 were 5 per acre, and that when once the forest is in 

 proper working rotation the average annual income 

 per acre will be about 11s. 6d. 



So also, under like conditions, if the rotation were 

 extended to 80 years, the average returns per acre 

 would be : 3120 cubic feet, worth 76, which would 

 represent a rent equal to a loss of Is. 3d. 1 per acre per 

 annum, and the average annual income from a normally 

 stocked forest would be about 18s. 9d. per acre. 



1 This is equal to a capital loss of over 26 per acre at the end of 

 the rotation. 



However, it must be remembered that if the average 

 cost of planting, fencing, keeping young plantations 

 clean and replacing " deaths " can be reduced below 5 

 per acre the land-rentals will be correspondingly better 

 (vide, p. 8). 



Now, these returns are very different from the 

 optimistic estimates set forth in the report upon affores- 

 tation issued by the Coast Erosion Commissioners ; but 

 it would seem that although these Commissioners 

 examined a vast number of witnesses, they made no 

 systematic attempt to acquire evidence as to the average 

 volume or value of crops of timber of various ages grown 

 upon mountain land in this country, in spite of the fact 

 that there are in the aggregate enormous areas of 

 coniferous crops of all ages now growing upon 

 mountain land, and that every year a portion of these 

 crops is being felled and harvested. 



However, those who are interested in this report, 

 and upon afforestation generally, are referred by the 

 author to his criticisms thereon published elsewhere. 1 



1 Vide Transactions of the Surveyors' Institution, Cardiff Meeting, 

 May 1909; Quarterly Journal of Forestry, "Afforestation Schemes," 

 October 1909; Journal of the Board of Agriculture, "The Financial 

 Aspect of the Growth of Scots Pine," June 1910. Vide also note on 

 next page. 



