THE STATE AND PRIVATE OWNERS 253 



Royal English and Scottish Arboricultural Societies, pro- 

 prietors, land agents, and foresters have, within the last 

 twenty years, visited France, Garmany, Belgium, Den- 

 mark, and Sweden, resulting in a widening and illuminat- 

 ing effect upon the general opinions prevailing amongst 

 those classes. Then the influence of the societies already 

 named must not be overlooked. Founded in Scotland 

 in 1854, and in England in 1881, these societies now 

 possess a membership of considerably over two thousand 

 persons. By means of their publications and excursions 

 they may be regarded as the heart and brains of the 

 professional forestry world in Britain, and have had 

 much to do with any assistance rendered by the Board 

 of Agriculture and the Office of Woods to forestry in 

 recent years. 



With a few unimportant exceptions, perhaps, the above 

 steps constitute the only assistance British owners of woods 

 have received from outside sources, and the greater part 

 of it has been derived from private rather than State 

 agencies. In fact, many reasons might be given for the 

 statement that State interference with woodlands, in the 

 form of legislation, has rather been of an adverse than a 

 favourable kind. Instead of helping the owner of woods 

 to develop and improve them, several measures passed 

 within recent years have increased his difficulties, 

 although indirectly rather than directly. 



The most unfavourable effect upon wood management 

 has been produced by the Death Duties imposed in 1894. 

 Nearly all forms of taxation tell indirectly upon private 

 forestry, and it is difficult to see how it should be other- 

 wise. Trees after reaching the pole or small timber 

 stage possess a value of some kind, and an owner 

 wishing to make money to meet certain contingencies, 

 or sudden calls upon his purse, is not likely to dis- 

 criminate very clearly between a ripe and unripe timber 



