NATIONAL ASPECTS OF FORESTRY 19 



tageous to grow timber artificially for export purposes. 

 But while it is probable that a country would lay itself 

 out to supply manufactured or semi-manufactured wood 

 goods, it is extremely unlikely that sufficient round timber 

 of artificial growth will be produced by any country in 

 excess of its own manufacturing requirements. Even 

 now, when practically all the timber exported throughout 

 the world is of natural growth, the tendency is to manu- 

 facture it as much as possible, and there is little doubt 

 that tendency will increase rather than decrease, especially 

 in countries in which the facilities for developing indus- 

 tries are limited, and the surplus population finds a diffi- 

 culty in obtaining any kind of employment. In short, 

 free trade in round timber is not likely to continue for 

 many more years, unless an energetic policy of forest 

 organisation and reproduction is inaugurated throughout 

 the civilised world, and the timber supply maintained at 

 more or less its normal level. 



If the above statements are correct, and every source of 

 information points to their being so in a general way, 

 three questions naturally present themselves: (1) What 

 must he considered the normal domestic consiinvption of 

 timber per head of po'pulation in Europe generally ? (2) 

 Is the existing forest area sufficient to meet tlcat consump- 

 tion? and (3) Can a deficiency of homc-groxun timber, 

 due to the development of industries, or increase of popu- 

 lation in one European country, he met by an excess in 

 another ? 



To estimate the normal domestic consumption of 

 timber, it is necessary to take a country which is more or 

 less stationary as regards population, which supports itself 

 in food, clothing, fuel, housing, etc., by the cultivation and 

 utilisation of its soil, and which has fully developed all 

 its natural resources so far as national wealth and general 

 prosperity are concerned. 



