THE STATE AND PRIVATE OWNERS 265 



which may have no practical vakie. Owners willing to 

 sell at a reasonable price would find means of bringing 

 the fact before the proper authorities in a small country 

 like Britain, and there are no unexplored wastes to survey 

 and map. 



With regard to the form and distribution of State 

 woods, these must vary in different parts of the country. 

 There is probably no better field in Europe for afforesta- 

 tion, as distinct from forest land already stocked, than 

 in the West and Central Highlands of Scotland, provided 

 the work could be carried out on a comprehensive scale, 

 leaving the more fertile valleys to the farmers, and the 

 higher and useless ground to grouse and deer. The 

 difficulties are there connected more with the existing 

 divided ownership, than with physical or economic condi- 

 tions. If the landlord and the State could come to some 

 working agreement, by which the land could be leased 

 to the State for a period of twenty years, and the work of 

 afforestation carried out by the latter, the landlord might, 

 at the end of the lease, either purchase the growing crop, 

 or sell the fee-simple of the land to the State. By these 

 means national forestry could be greatly developed at 

 least expense to the nation, for in a national sense the 

 name of the landowner is merely a figure of speech. The 

 direct purchase of land by the State could be effected 

 wherever favourable opportunities presented themselves, 

 but to trust to this method alone appears to be too costly 

 and uncertain to maintain a proper distribution of wood- 

 land throughout the entire country. 



Forests raised on this plan must, of course, be managed 

 on definite and approved lines, and not merely the work of 

 planting, but the management of the crops, be subjected to 

 control and supervision in the event of their repurchase 

 by the estate-owner, while woods thus formed should be 

 subject to compulsory maintenance. Objections to this 

 control might be raised, but have really little more weight. 



