NATIONAL AFFORESTATION 



to the war was only 3,035,590 acres, a smaller 

 percentage than that of any other country. 

 The percentage of woodlands held by the 

 Crown is only about 2J per cent., or a little 

 over 66,000 acres. The produce of these 

 woodlands is quite inadequate to meet our 

 ever-increasing demands, which, roughly 

 speaking, approximate 11,000,000 loads an- 

 nually, the total value of which exceeds 

 33,000,000. 



Time after time the writer has urged on 

 the Government the pressing necessity of 

 extending the woodlands of our country, so 

 that a great national industry would be 

 brought about, and that we might be less 

 dependent on foreign supplies. But little or 

 nothing has been done, and, broadly speaking, 

 the position stands thus: In Scotland the 

 Government has planted a few thousand 

 acres of land, while some of the larger city 

 corporations have done good work by afforest- 

 ing the catchment areas of their water-supplies, 

 and in Ireland some planting of rather an 

 experimental nature has taken place. This, 



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