YIELD AND FINANCIAL RESULTS. 41 



five shillings for agricultural purposes. The bulk of the 

 Saxon State forests are stocked with spruce, a species at 

 present so much despised in this country. Surely 

 similar results would be obtained in this country if we 

 managed our woodlands as carefully as is the case in 

 Saxony ! 



After this digression we must return to the subject under 

 consideration. I have before me tables showing the yield of 

 forests in Germany, based upon thousands of measurements, 

 and referring to various species, such as beech, Scotch pine, 

 spruce, and silver fir ; also provisional tables for oak, larch, 

 and other trees. I have also on numerous occasions measured 

 British woods, and compared the results with those given in the 

 tables. In this manner I have estimated the yield which may 

 be expected from British woodlands if treated systematically 

 and according to correct sylvicultural methods. That yield 

 depends, of course, on the particular class of timber which it 

 is proposed to grow and on the method of treatment, but it 

 would lead too far to give here all possible cases. Hence, I 

 have selected the simple method of high forest as applied to 

 larch, ash, Scotch pine, spruce, beech, and oak, and deter- 

 mined the returns which they are likely to give if planted on 

 average forest land. 



I have assumed that timber of some size is wanted, and 

 that the woods are finally cut over : 



In the case of larch at the age of 70 years. 



ash ,, ,, 70 ,, 



,, Scotch pine 80 ,, 



,, spruce ,, 90 ,, 



beech ,, 120 ,, 



,, oak 130 



These rotations are about the most profitable in the case of 

 high forest. As firewood is at present of little value, I have 

 left it altogether out of the account. 



