32 THE AFFORESTATION OF SURPLUS LAND. 



there can be no doubt that many of them are nothing of the 

 kind. Indeed, there is, perhaps, not a single wood in England 

 which does not owe its present condition to interference by the 

 act of man, not even the so-called natural woods in the New 

 Forest and in Epping Forest, about which so much has been 

 written. As they appear to us now, they are the result, if 

 not of actual sowing or planting, of the cutting-out of certain 

 species which Nature had introduced, of coppicing, pollarding, 

 and other violent interference, not to omit the effects of cattle- 

 grazing and fire. 



Proceeding now to the economic aspect of the matter under 

 consideration, the case may shortly be stated thus : The 

 object in view should be to manage woodlands so as to 

 secure, pernuuu'ntlii, the best possible results, whether 

 measured by quantity and quality of produce, or by net 

 cash receipts, or the interest which the invested capital 

 yields. Stress is laid on the word "permanently." No doubt 

 a proprietor can, for a certain period of time, realise large 

 returns from his woods ; but in doing so he may seriously 

 injure the future yield-capacity of the land. Returns are 

 legitimate only if by their realisation the property is not 

 reduced in value, as measured by its yield-capacity. On 

 thoroughly fertile soil, and under a favourable climate, the 

 danger is, perhaps, not great ; but where such conditions do 

 not exist, and this occurs in the majority of cases, at any rate 

 so far as the soil is concerned, woodlands should be stocked 

 with such species, and treated in such a manner that the 

 yield-capacity of the locality is not reduced. On the con- 

 trary, it should in many cases be improved. And thus we 

 arrive at the question whether pure or mixed woods are 

 indicated, and in the latter case, how they should be 

 arranged. 



The beneficial effects of a full crop of trees upon the soil 

 are brought about chiefly by the following two agencies : 



(1.) The trees form a dense leaf- canopy, which protects the 

 soil against the effects of the sun and air currents. 



