IMPROVED BRITISH FORESTRY 333 



particular matter, as well as on planting along 

 the west coast of Ireland, by the Forestry 

 Committee of 1887. 



As most landowners have merely a life-interest 

 in their estates, and as the calls on their purse 

 are many (beginning with the heavy demand on 

 succession), they have not as a rule much money 

 to spare for forming plantations which are only 

 likely to yield substantial returns after their 

 individual tenure of the estate is at an end. 

 Hence, even if he be convinced of the desira- 

 bility of growing crops of timber for future 

 profit, the landowner seldom has the funds 

 necessary to make an investment of this sort. 

 As State aid has not thus been directly given 

 to Agriculture during the last twenty-five years 

 of depression, it is impracticable that advances 

 should be made from the Treasury to land- 

 owners desirous of planting waste land and 

 tracts thrown out of arable or pastural occu- 

 pation. But substantial assistance and encour- 

 agement might be given indirectly by amendments 

 to the Lands Improvement, the Settled Estates, 

 and the Board of Agriculture Acts. Under 

 the Improvement of Lands Act, 1899, the 



