IMPROVED BRITISH FORESTRY 327 



in Evelyn's time its drawbacks were recognised, 

 as when he says of the oak, ' A Timber-tree is a 

 Merchant Adventurer, you shall never know what 

 he is worth , till he be dead? 



Most British woods are unfortunately in such 

 a condition that Schemes of Management drawn 

 up for them will not at once lead to more pro- 

 fitable returns being obtained from the woods 

 than hitherto, because in the vast majority of 

 cases the capital in timber is not adjusted and 

 distributed economically over the woodland area. 

 Often, indeed, additional expenditure will have 

 to be urged for the filling of blank spaces in thin 

 crops, and thinnings will usually have to be re- 

 stricted considerably in comparison with what has 

 been hitherto customary under the arboricultural 

 method of treatment. But these are the results 

 of uneconomical management in the past : they 

 are not faults inherent in the scientific Working 

 Plan. Hence it will often happen that the bene- 

 fits of a Working Plan will not become apparent 

 till such proper adjustment and distribution of 

 the capital in wood has taken place, and till the 

 various crops have been brought into such density 

 of cover and general economic condition as may 



