CHAPTER XXXIV 



AFFORESTING WASTE LANDS AND THE FINANCIAL 

 RETURNS THEREFROM 



Now that the Government is being urged seriously to con- 

 sider the question of afforestation, it may be opportune on 

 my part, as one of the earliest writers on the subject, to 

 briefly recall what has already been done in this matter, and 

 to offer some remarks on planting waste lands, with special 

 reference to cost and the financial returns therefrom. 



For the past thirty years I have not failed to urge 

 on the State and private owners of woodlands the press- 

 ing necessity for planting up some at least of the waste 

 and unprofitable lands of our country, in order to pro- 

 vide a sufficiency of timber for the future and leave us 

 less dependent on the supplies that are annually sent 

 us from abroad. As stated elsewhere, when we consider 

 that the total area of woodlands in this country is only 

 a little over 3,029,000 acres, that fully 15,000,000 acres 

 of waste lands exist, and that we annually import over 

 10,000,000 tons of timber, at a cost of about 25,000,000, 

 the necessity for an increased area of woodlands, so that a 

 portion at least of this vast sum may be kept at home, will 

 be apparent to all, and the more so as a dearth of timber is 

 imminent, and outside supplies are being rigidly conserved, 

 while our home demands are ever on the increase. England 

 being, so to speak, a residential country, the retention of a 

 certain amount of heath, mountain and common lands, for 

 the purpose of deer forests, grouse moors, game coverts and 

 golfing links is imperative, and wiU considerably reduce the 

 acreage of land available for afforesting purposes. But I 

 think that I am well within bounds in alloting out of the 



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