6G THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH FORESTRY 



shows a very extensive tract of land of low and possibly 

 no agricultural value. For many years various authorities 

 have advocated the planting of a large proportion of the 

 mountain land in Great Britain, and various estimates 

 have been formed of the approximate quantity suitable 

 for the purpose. Witnesses before the Departmental 

 Committee on British Forestry in 1903 stated their opinion 

 that several millions of acres of waste land might be profit- 

 ably planted. The Afforestation Report of the Royal 

 Commission on Coast Erosion reported in 1909 that 

 9,000,000 acres, chiefly mountain land, were probably 

 plantable in the United Kingdom, of which 2,500,000 acres 

 were in England and Wales, 6,000,000 acres in Scotland, 

 and 500,000 in Ireland. The most moderate estimate 

 made up to the present by any individual appears to be 

 that of Dr. Nisbet, to the effect that one-fifth of the waste 

 land of the country might be profitably afforested. 



With the exception of that made by the Coast Erosion 

 Commission, which calculated that 15 to 20 pounds 

 of mutton per acre might be lost to the nation by the 

 afforestation of this land, none of the above estimates 

 has been made on an agricultural basis — that is to say, 

 the value of the land for grazing purposes has not been 

 seriously taken into account, beyond its mere rental value 

 to the landlord. In mountain districts, however, it would 

 appear desirable that a closer inquiry should be made as 

 to the national value of mountain land as a necessary 

 feature of stock-raising, and as a means of increasing the 

 food supply and agricultural resources of the country. 

 With this idea in view the figures in the table on page 68 

 may be of interest. From these it is seen that in England, 

 where the total area of crops and grass represents 76 per 

 cent, of the entire surface, there is an average of 20 head 

 of cattle and 60 head of sheep per 100 acres of crops 

 and grass. The area of mountain land in England being 



