SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS. 51 



conditions which differ altogether from those found in 

 continental countries ; many of them are under the influence 

 of moist sea winds, and all are favourably situated in 

 respect of importation by sea. 



The state of ownership is intimately connected with the 

 area under forest in a country. Forest owners may be grouped 

 into the following three great classes : — 



(a) The State or the Crown. 



(b) Corporations, Endowments, etc. 

 (f) Private persons. 



Where, apart from the financial aspect and the supply of 

 work, forests are not required on account of their indirect 

 effects, and where importation from other countries is easy 

 and assured, the Government of a country need not, as a rule, 

 trouble itself to maintain or acquire forests. But where the 

 opposite conditions exist, that is to say where forests are 

 necessary to produce climatic and mechanical effects, and 

 where the cost of transport over long distances becomes 

 prohibitive, or where future imports are uncertain, a wise 

 administration will take measures to assure the maintenance 

 of a certain proportion of the country under forest. This can 

 be done, either by maintaining or constituting a certain area 

 of State forests, or by exercising a certain amount of control 

 over corporation and private forests, or by measures which 

 encourage afforestation by private proprietors. How this 

 question should be treated will be explained in the next part 

 of this volume. 



ii2 



