220 THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH FORESTRY 



or more may be allowed for per acre, but the latter figure 

 should not be exceeded on an average for plantable land 

 in large blocks. Land of a lower value than £2, or 2s. 

 per acre annual value for grazing, will seldom produce 

 profitable timber crops, although small areas may be 

 found which are absolutely worthless for grazing, but 

 capable of growing valuable timber. Land worth more 

 than an average of £G per acre, or from £3 to £10, must 

 be regarded as too valuable for extensive afforestation, 

 although small patches of valuable land must occasionally 

 be included in large purchases. Under average condi- 

 tions, however, from £2 for the poorer, to £6 for the 

 better classes of land constitute the limit below or above 

 which land for economic planting purposes should not be 

 extensively acquired. 



Under the head of ' Preliminary Expenses ' come all 

 those numerous items of expenditure which are invariably 

 involved in a newly purchased property, more especially 

 if previously occupied by different owners, or utilised for 

 a different purpose. The provision of houses for overseers, 

 foremen, and labourers may or may not be necessary, 

 according as they )uay already be present on the land or 

 not, but provision for gates, bridges, fencing, main drainage, 

 etc., invariably has to be made, and a capital outlay of 

 from 10s. to 80s. per acre is usually necessary for these 

 purposes. The actual sum usually increases, but the 

 cost per acre decreases, with the size of the area, and 20s. 

 per acre may be more than is required on compact 

 blocks of 1000 acres or more, but much will depend upon 

 various circumstances which can scarcely be anticipated 

 in more than a general way. Many of these items may 

 not be necessary at the outset, as for instance the forma- 

 tion of roads or the building of bridges, but they may be 

 regarded as capital expenditure whenever they have to 

 be incurred. 



