30 THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH FORESTRY 



consisted of sawn or dressed timber, while 456,000 loads, 

 consisting of staves, furniture woods, etc., are not included. 

 The nett imports of unmanufactured timber which might 

 be grown in the British Isles was, therefore, 3,848,700 loads, 

 of which pit props constituted over 3,000,000 loads. Of 

 the sawn or dressed timber, almost 4,000,000 loads came 

 from Russia, Sweden, France, and Germany, and the bulk 

 of the remainder from Canada and the United States of 

 America. The greater part of this, again, might be con- 

 sidered as producible at home if the land were available, 

 while wood pulp to the value of over £3,000,000 was im- 

 ported in 1908, which may also be considered as capable 

 of home growth. 



If, however, these imports can be maintained from 

 Russia, Scandinavia, and Canada, the question of timber 

 consumption and production is very largely one of 

 finance. It is practically certain that these imports will 

 rise in price until they reach a figure which will cover 

 artificial costs of forest protection and cultivation. 

 While timber, as any other commodity, fluctuates in 

 price, the general tendency of late years has been an 

 upward one — first, because it has to be procured at greater 

 cost as it is obtained at greater distances from ports or 

 rivers, and second, because the cost of protection and 

 regeneration of forests must be incurred, and paid for by 

 the timber sold. Judging from present appearances, this 

 increase will chiefly apply to the larger dimensions of 

 logs and scantling, and least aflect such sizes as those 

 used for pit props, pulp wood, etc., as thinnings and the 

 yield of inferior soils and localities can be utilised for 

 these purposes, while their transport over rough ground 

 can be more easily effected. Moreover, it is this larger 

 class of timber which will, sooner or later, be reserved for 

 home consumption in countries which are not entirely 

 given up to absolute free trade, and there is little doubt 



