10 AN INTRODUCTION 



present levels, is fully considered in another portion of this 

 book (vide Chapter XII). It is there shown that if 

 money be borrowed at 4 per cent, interest, a direct loss will 

 usually be incurred by planting land, the soil and situation of 

 which may be classed as Quality II., with such trees as 

 Beech, Norway Spruce, Silver Fir, Scots Pine, Oak, and 

 Weymouth Pine, and this even though the land could be 

 acquired rent free. The losses are greatest in the case of the 

 first mentioned trees. If, however, money could be borrowed 

 at 3j per cent, interest, the losses would not be so great, and, 

 in the case of Weymouth Pine, a small rental equivalent of 

 is. 2d. per acre per annum would be returned for the land, if 

 the cost of establishing the crop, including fencing and 

 cleaning for the first few years, were 8 an acre. 



If, however, the cost of establishing the crops could be 

 reduced to $ an acre, small rentals could be earned by all 

 the crops, except Beech. 



So, also, if money could be borrowed at 3 per cent, 

 interest, still better results would be achieved. 



On the other hand, it is shown that such crops as Douglas 

 Fir, Larch, and Ash, will, if all goes well, not only pay 

 4 per cent, interest on the cost of establishing the crops, but 

 will yield in addition a handsome rental for the land. 



Other trees which pay well in most cases to grow at 

 present prices are Black and White Poplars, Willows, for 

 cricket bats, and Spanish Chestnut. Also, although their 

 value in this country has not been proved, such trees as 

 Black W T alnut, Sitka Spruce, Tulip Tree, Thuya gigantea, 

 Cupressus macrocarpa, Oregon Ash, and the White Ash, will 

 probably yield excellent results ; although any planting of 

 such trees must, at present, be looked upon in the light of an 

 experiment. 



Furthermore, with reference to the yearly rents which 

 crops of timber may be expected to return, as shown in 

 Chapter XII., it should be noticed that these data have 

 reference, for the most part, to crops grown on land, the soil 

 and situation of which is classed as Quality II. If the soil 

 and situation were Quality I., the crops would yield much 



