452 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



means of moral pressure upon private landowners possessing 

 suitable land, to make them understand the necessity of 

 turning it into well-kept forest. 



For smaller areas individual ownership will be distinctly 

 preferable to State ownership. For the State will be able 

 to deal directly only with large areas. We have, as it 

 happens, none of those corporate owners of forest which 

 abroad the State, by means of strict supervision, makes 

 serviceable to the common good. But it may be worth 

 while considering whether we could not apply the method 

 of advice and supervision given in France by the Adminis- 

 tration des Eaux et For its, and in Germany in another form 

 by the landschaften , in consideration of an advance of money. 

 Although we cannot, as observed, expect our private owners, 

 generally speaking, of an only moderate area of forest, to 

 maintain an experienced staff of highly trained foresters, 

 yet the State, as a collective body, can surround itself with 

 the most skilled advisers, and in a matter of so great national 

 importance it can legitimately place such men at the dis- 

 posal of private landowners desiring to plant land with 

 forest — of course on condition that some security is given 

 that the land will be left under forest, so that at the proper 

 time the Nation may have the benefit. The practice of 

 the " Forest Service " in the United States is a pertinent 

 and good precedent for this. This is what the Administration 

 des Eaux et Forets does — and it does more. Under the Law 

 of 1909, which authorises public bodies like savings banks 

 and other corporations to invest part of their funds in 

 forest, on condition that the forest so acquired shall be 

 placed under the regime forestier (the management being 

 supervised by the Administration des Eaux et Forets), 

 private landowners are authorised to apply for and benefit 

 by the same supervision, with a guarantee of the kind 

 spoken of given. Such measure would probably be more 

 largely taken advantage of in this country than it actually 

 is in France. 



But where the shoe pinches most in France is in the 

 matter of fmance. Forest land is not a very convenient 

 object to accept as a pledge even though it be insured 



