COST OF FORMING PLANTATIONS 



But there is another point that I should 

 like to touch on whilst dealing with the forma- 

 tion of plantations, and that is that the work 

 should only be entrusted to the efficient and 

 practical wood manager or forester, who is 

 fully conversant with the whole routine of 

 woodland work. It is frequently urged that 

 forestry does not pay, but where such is the 

 case it is generally traceable to injudicious 

 planting and wrong methods of management. 

 No more can we expect the gardener, game- 

 keeper, estate joiner, or even land agent, to 

 undertake economical timber culture than we 

 could expect the forester to carry out success- 

 fully the duties of any or all of these indivi- 

 duals. Wrongly formed plantations are, un- 

 fortunately, far too common, in so far, at 

 least, as adaptation of soil and trees are con- 

 cerned, the results being that, financially 

 speaking, the woods are a failure, and pro- 

 prietors, in consequence, fight shy of further 

 planting operations. Not once, but over and 

 over again, have I examined and reported on 

 such woods in various parts of the country, 

 E 65 



