THE WORLD'S FOREST SUPPLY 25 



the trees felled is becoming smaller. Japan, even under 

 its feudal lords, recognised the value of woodlands, and has 

 now an excellent forestry school and a large number of 

 students, and our own Government in India have a large 

 staff of forest officers to look after the enormous timbered 

 area of the country, whilst even a young country like 

 Australia has already reserved 2,000,000 acres, although 

 the speedy regeneration of the eucalypts removes a diffi- 

 culty which confronts the forester having to deal with 

 conifers and slow-growing timber. 



The United States, on whose forests greater inroads 

 have been made than in any other country, and which are 

 being used up much quicker than their natural reproduc- 

 tion, have been slow to move in this matter, and even yet, 

 owing to opposition by various interests, the Government 

 reserves, which are chiefly in the Eocky Mountains and on 

 the Pacific slope, only amount to about one-fifth of the 

 total forest area, exclusive of Alaska, and sufficient 

 protection is not afforded even to this. 



At the present time a commission is sitting to inquire 

 into the question of afforestation in the British Isles which, 

 it is hoped, may be productive of much good, for, with a 

 proper system of planting on our waste lands, we might in 

 time become to a considerable extent independent of foreign 

 supplies. 



It is evident from what has been said that, apart 

 from the national question, and the serious outlook of 

 a country like our own being wholly dependent upon 

 foreign supplies, a proper scheme of forestry may be 

 made to pay. 



When it is remembered that the time required to produce 

 a valuable hardwood or pine tree may be anything from 

 40 or 50 to 150 years or more, it is quite probable that 

 some of the countries which have only lately adopted 



