114 ENGLISH WOODLANDS 



simply from a desire to benefit timber growers 

 by inducing them to adopt methods which, so 

 the critics think, will make the woods more 

 remunerative. This is a reasonable object, for 

 hitherto the remuneration of timber-growing has 

 been very slight. 



It is obvious that prior to the war there was 

 hardly any remuneration. During the war there 

 was a considerable rise in the prices of timber; 

 but even with this rise the profit does not exceed 

 4 per cent, on the cost of production. In the 

 opinion of some of those who are most experi- 

 enced in the sale of timber, the best possible 

 result that can be attained is the sale of a fifty- 

 year old wood at £100 per acre. Many woods 

 have been sold for more per acre ; but then, they 

 have been longer in growing, and the net 

 pecuniary result has been worse ; also, in every 

 large wood there may have been some acres 

 which were worth more than £100, but other 

 acres in the same wood were worth less. 



Assuming that the sale of a fifty-year old 

 wood at £100 per acre is the high- water mark 

 of the possible profits from timber-growing, it 

 can easily be seen what is the difference between 

 the cost of production and the returns. The 

 annual value of land able to produce such a 



