FORESTRY AND AGRICULTURE. 19 



Forest areas, however, may also include good land of 

 sufficient extent to justify a second class of larger holdings, 

 where more stock may be kept and more cropping done, 

 but still not large enough to enable the holders to make a 

 decent living or to occupy their time fully. The holders 

 of these larger holdings will also be useful in the forestry 

 operations, and thus augment their livings in their spare 

 time. These larger holdings will, of course, not be so 

 numerous as the former class. 



Then there is the land already referred to as unsuitable 

 for either afforestation or cultivation, but for which some 

 profitable use must be found. As such land is not adapt- 

 able to small-holdings, it will be necessary, in preparing a 

 planting plan, to sacrifice considerable stretches of good 

 plantable land adjacent to farm-houses, and connecting 

 with the higher and rougher ground which has been 

 excluded from the proposed forest area. By this means 

 the grazing value of large tracts will be maintained, and 

 in course of time, through the shelter provided by the 

 forest, the sacrifice of timber-producing land will be amply 

 compensated for by the greatly enhanced value of the 

 poor land. 



Further, the grading of holdings and farms as outlined 

 will provide facilities for aspiring agriculturists to rise by 

 progressive stages from small-holders to renters of large 

 farms; while those inclined to make a profession of 

 forestry will have scope for their advancement as the 

 work of afforestation increases. 



The housing question will present a serious difficulty in 

 many localities. Existing farm-houses will be available 

 for the largest farms, but to take advantage of all avail- 

 able land much building will be necessary. In many rural 

 districts the cost of erecting houses is extremely high; 

 and it will be a serious handicap to any scheme of affores- 

 tation if it has to bear the whole cost of extra building. 

 Since the joint operations of forestry and agriculture are 



