AND FORESTRY COMMISSION 221 



from H. M. Stationery Office, Imperial House, Kingsway, 

 London, W.C. 2, price id. 



The eight Forestry Commissioners were appointed in 

 November, 1919, and the Commission at once started work 

 with great vigour. Three Assistant-Commissioners, one each 

 for England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, were appointed, 

 and the country was divided into Divisions, five in England 

 and Wales, four in Scotland, and two in Ireland, a Divisional 

 Officer being appointed to each Division. Land was acquired 

 and planting started in December, 1919. Although it was 

 late in the season to start work, an area of 1,585 acres was 

 planted during 1919-20. 



After about eleven months' work, an area of about 50,000 

 acres in all had been acquired either by gift, purchase, or lease, 

 and the programme for 1920-21 includes the planting up of 

 5,000 acres. 



Besides this, a very large area of waste land has been sur- 

 veyed, and maps prepared showing the plantable and implant- 

 able areas. The Statistical branch has measured a very large 

 number of sample plots of conifers all over the kingdom, and 

 has published an excellent bulletin (No. 3) on the ' Rate of 

 Growth of Conifers in the British Isles '. 



The Schools for forest apprentices in Dean Forest and at 

 Chopwell, near Newcastle, have been re-opened after being 

 closed throughout the war, and new Schools for forest appren- 

 tices have been opened at Burley in the New Forest, at Beauly 

 in Inverness-shire, and at Birnam, Dunkeld, in Perthshire. 



There is every prospect of the recommendations of the 

 Acland Committee being carried out, but there is likely to be 

 a scarcity of plants during the first few years. The collection 

 of seed is therefore of urgent importance, and every estate 

 having fellings of conifers going on can help matters by col- 

 lecting seed for the Forestry Commission. Anyone willing to 

 help should get into touch with the local Divisional Officer, and 

 arrangements could be then made, or in the first place a letter 



