2 INTRODUCTION. 



" 3. During my late visits to our Royal forests and 

 other woodlands in England, I found that we possess a 

 vast deal of valuable information on the history and man- 

 agement of our forests among our public records, published, 

 for the most part, at the time when searching inquiry was 

 made as to the management of our forests, the press at 

 that time teeming with articles on the subject; and the 

 excellent management of the woodlands of many of our 

 nobility and other large landed proprietors (which, from 

 the various geological features of this country, present 

 almost every variety of growth), show that, although the 

 wooded portions of Great Britain do not extend over im- 

 mense areas, the science of forestry has occupied much 

 more attention than is generally believed. 



" 4. The gentlemen employed as stewards and managers 

 on our lands, many of them of the highest talent, have 

 far too much to do to think of sitting down to write 

 books, and thus it happens that year by year the most 

 valuable experience is lost to us ; and, publications being 

 scarce, and forest questions shelved, so to speak, since the 

 Forest Act was passed, a general idea has spread abroad 

 that in this country we are comparatively ignorant on this 

 subject. Such, however, is not the case. 



" 5. There are now only a few men in the country who 

 know where to lay their hands on the records, scattered 

 about in many of our public offices and institutions, which 

 would be required in order to compile any book on the 

 history and management of the forests and woodlands of 

 Great Britain. They went through the Parliamentary 

 inquiry of some 30 years ago; age is creeping on, and 

 unless we seize the information they possess now, it will, 

 in the course of a few years, pass away from us. 



" G. It is under these circumstances that I venture to 

 bring to the notice of Government the advisability of at 

 once collecting, in a standard volume, the history and experi- 

 ence learned in our forests and woodlands. It is amply 

 evident that Government must first move in the matter, 

 or nothing will be done. I would suggest that a sum of 



