22 Studies in Forestry [CHAP. i. 



more apparent than in Sir Herbert Maxwell's paper on 

 Woodlands in the Nineteenth Century for July 1891, in 

 which in less than a dozen lines he points out one great 

 blemish in our method of treatment of woodlands, and then 

 at the same time, in tendering advice on the subject, commits 

 himself to the expression of an opinion which distinctly shows 

 that his ideas on Forestry have no true scientific founda- 

 tion and are opposed to the very best and most thorough 

 natural knowledge on the subject 1 . He boldly advocates the 

 formation of pure forest in preference to mixed woods. I am, 

 however, perfectly certain that, if once the formation and 

 retention of mixed woods be departed from on any extensive 

 scale, the woodland owners throughout Britain will begin to 

 form an intimate and unpleasant acquaintanceship with many 

 noxious insects, some of which, rejoicing in the euphonious 

 names of Gastropacha, Liparis, Tomicus, Pissodes, Hylesinus, 

 &c., will give ample reason for genuine regret at having 

 transformed mixed woods into pure forests. And there are 

 many other objections that can be named; but this is not 

 the proper time and opportunity for doing so. 



The necessity for men of the second class receiving a better 

 instruction is also everywhere apparent throughout the Report 

 on Forestry. It may be summed up in the quotation of two 

 answers given to the Committee by Mr. Britton, the manager 

 and valuer of a large timber-firm in Wolverhampton : 



783. Do you find that many land-agents possess a capable knowledge 

 of forestry ? Very few in all my experience ; / think I could pretty well 

 count them upon my fingers' ends. 



829. What is the general result that you have come to ? The general 

 result I have come to is, that very few land-agents know anything of forestry, 

 or very little. 



And the same holds good with regard to Scotland, although 

 there are a few really good practical foresters holding charge 

 of important wooded estates. Thus the late Mr. Macgregor 



1 See Chapter VI, On Mixed Woods and their Advantages over Pure 

 Forests. 



