CHAP, i.] Forestry in Britain 13 



1 The woodlands belonging to the State are comparatively small, though 

 even, as regards them, the difference between skilled and unskilled 

 management would itself more than repay the cost of a forest school. 



' Your Committee are satisfied that, so far as Great Britain and Ireland 

 are concerned, the management of our woodlands might be materially 

 improved. Moreover, the present depressed values render economical 

 and skilful management even more important than if the range of prices 

 were higher, though it is probable that, with the waste of forests 

 elsewhere, a brighter future is in store for home forestry, and that some 

 considerable proportion of the timber now imported, to the value of 16,000,000, 

 might, under more skilful management, be raised at home. 



1 Nearly every other civilized State possesses one or more forest schools. 

 In this country, on the contrary, no organized system of forestry instruc- 

 tion is in existence excepting in connexion with the Indian service. 



' Your Committee recommend the establishment of a forest board. 

 They are also satisfied by the evidence that the establishment of forest 

 schools, or at any rate of a course of instruction and examination in 

 forestry, would be desirable, and they think that the consideration of 

 the best mode of carrying this into effect might be one of the functions 

 entrusted to such a forest board.' 



As regards the outlay connected with so flimsy a scheme 

 for the improvement of the natural knowledge of forestry in 

 general, it was also stated that 



' The expense of secretarial staff and examiners need not, in the 

 opinion of the Committee, exceed 500 a year, and the cost might be 

 considerably reduced by fees for diplomas? 



I believe I am correct in stating that, up to date, all that has 

 been done by Government for the advancement of forestry in 

 Britain has been to pay 100 a year to Edinburgh University 

 for a lectureship during the last two years, to provide half of 

 the annual stipend of 500 a year to the Professor of Agri- 

 culture and Forestry at the Durham College of Science, 

 Newcastle, for the chair founded there in 1890, to pay (tem- 

 porarily) 150 a year to the free class for foresters, wood-reeves, 

 and gardeners, now being conducted experimentally at the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, and to give an equal sum 

 for the elementary course of instruction begun in 1892 at the 

 Glasgow Technical Institute. 



