216 THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH FORESTRY 



timber, and ownership of the land. On good soils and 

 situations, and in the vicinity of good markets, woods of 

 50 to 100 acres can be profitably worked by the individual 

 estate-owner, who can combine the supervision of several 

 woods of this size with the management of the estate 

 generally. For the purpose of State aftbrestation such 

 woods are too sruall, unless a number of them lie within a 

 short distance of each other, but even then the expenses 

 of fencing, and loss due to margins are greatly increased. 

 Taking all things into consideration, experience indicates 

 that less than 300 acres of comparatively good land can 

 seldom be profitably worked as an independent block. 

 The efficient management of smaller woods is very diffi- 

 cult, as properly trained men usually require higher 

 salaries than such blocks can afford if a profit is to be 

 made. Small areas, again, cannot provide annual cuttings 

 of sufficient size to place adequate quantities of timber on 

 the market at one time, or if periodic instead of annual 

 fellings are made, both the selling of the timber and the 

 work of replanting become more expensive, and not so 

 easily organised on economic lines. 



On low-class agricultural land, blocks of 500 acres 

 appear to be the most suitable size for all-round purposes, 

 or several adjacent smaller blocks of the same or rather 

 larger size in the aggregate. Areas of this size keep a good 

 practical forester and a skilled staff steadily going, and 

 when in proper working order provide an annual fall of 

 timber from clearings and thinnings sufficient to attract 

 a number of competing buyers, and create a steady 

 demand. 



As the ground becomes poorer, the area required for 

 working profitably becomes greater, until on the worst 

 class of soils and situations less than 1000 acres cannot 

 be regarded as a satisfactory working area. Apart from 

 actual size, an area capable of yielding sufficient timber 



