52 The Canadian Forestry Journal. 



1. Afforestation is practicable and desirable, 



2. Approximate available area in the United Kingdom 

 without material encroachment upon agricultural land is 

 9,000,000 acres. 



3. Best rotation to secure sustained timber yield requires 

 150,000 acres to be afforested annually. 



4. Employment. 



(a) Temporary — Temporar}^ emplo}'ment is afforded an- 

 nually to 18,000 men during the winter months. Further, an 

 almost equal number would indirectly derive employment in 

 the incidental and subsidiary occupations connected with 

 forestry. This figure might be increased in any year to meet 

 exceptional pressure of unemployment. 



(b) Permanent — Permanent employment is afforded to one 

 man per 100 acres afforested, rising to 90,000 men when the 

 whole area has been dealt with. 



(c) Ultimate — The employment connected with subsidiary 

 industries — conversion and manipulation, etc., of the timber 

 crop, would afford occupation for a still larger population. 



5. Any scheme of national afforestation should be on an 

 economic basis. 



6. Labour — There are sufficient unemployed persons will- 

 ing to submit to and able to satisfy ordinary labour tests, who 

 could advantageously be employed without a period of special 

 training. 



7. Finance — Afforestation represents a productive invest- 

 ment, and should be financed by a loan. The annual sum re- 

 quired for the full scheme is ;i^2,000,000. The interest on the 

 loan should be defrayed out of taxation. The net deficit will be 

 ;£90,000 in the first year, and will rise progressively to i^3, 13 1,250 

 in the fortieth year, after which period the forest becomes more 

 than self-supporting. 



8. Profits — After eighty years the net revenue from the 

 forest at present prices — which promise to be materially en- 

 hanced — should be seventeen and a half millions. This represents 

 3| per cent, on the net cost, calculated at accumulated com- 

 pound interest of 3 per cent. Looked at from another point of 

 view the State will then be in possession of property worth 

 ;^562,000,000, or about ;/;i07,000,000 in excess of the total cost 

 involved in its creation, calculated at 3 per cent, compound 

 interest. 



9. Administration and control — The afforestation scheme 

 to be entrusted to a special Board of Commissioners. In default 

 of purchase by agreement, land to be acquired if necessary under 

 compulsory powers. 



10. Disturbance — The acquisition of grazing areas for 

 sylviculture might necessitate a modification of the existing 

 agricultural system on certain farms. There is no reason to 



