BRITISH FORESTRY, PAST AND FUTURE 5 



the soil and climate have had nothing to do with this result, 

 which would have occurred in any country under similar 

 conditions of management. 



In the last quarter of the nineteenth century it was recog- 

 nized that all was not well with British forestry, and in 1885 

 a Select Committee of the House of Commons was appointed 

 to ascertain ' Whether by the establishment of a Forest 

 School, or otherwise, our woodlands could be made more 

 remunerative.' This Committee, after being twice re- 

 appointed, reported in 1887, recommending (a) the estab- 

 lishment of forest schools in England, Scotland, and (pro- 

 bably) Ireland, (b) the creation of a Board to organize 

 instruction, (c) the holding of examinations, and (d) the 

 publication of an official syllabus and text book. No imme- 

 diate action was taken on the Report, though more recently 

 effect has been given to the first two recommendations. 



In 1902 a Board of Agriculture Departmental Committee 

 was set up ' To inquire into and report as to the present 

 position and future prospects of forestry, and the planting 

 and management of woodlands in Great Britain, and to 

 consider whether any measures might with advantage be 

 taken, either by the provision of further educational 

 facilities, or otherwise, for their promotion and encourage- 

 ment.' This Committee reported in the same year and 

 recommended the establishment of demonstration areas 

 in England and Scotland, Forestry Lectureships in Oxford 

 and Cambridge, example plots near these centres and 

 Edinburgh, provision of instruction in forestry at agri- 

 cultural colleges, short courses and local lectures for 

 foresters, technical advice for woodland owners, modifica- 

 tion of the estate duty on timber, repetition by the 

 Board of Agriculture of their inquiry as to the area and 

 character of woodlands, and the planting of municipal 

 water-catchment areas. Most of these recommendations 

 have been given effect to. 



In 1907 a Committee was appointed by the Vice- 

 President of the Department of Agriculture and Tech- 



