10G THE RURAL PROBLEM 



the Commission into the amount of land available for 

 afforestation revealed the fact that there exists in England 

 six million acres, in Scotland two and a half million acres, and 

 in Ireland half a million acres, exactly 9,000,000 acres in 

 all, which are adapted for afforestation, but which at present 

 produce practically nothing and employ hardly any labour 

 at all. The Commission therefore recommended the pur- 

 chase of this land gradually at the rate of 150,000 acres 

 a year, as a remunerative scheme of scientific forestry, 

 which would incidentally help to solve the unemployment 

 question as well. They point out that the investment of 

 £13 6s. 8d. an acre, with interest and management expenses 

 in addition, and no return for at least 40 years, is not an 

 investment for the individual, but may well be worth the 

 while of the State, especially if the eventual result is to pay 

 £3 16s. 8d. an acre yearly on the whole outlay from the 

 forty-first to the eightieth year of the statutory period of 

 repayment. 



Whether or not the State will adopt such a scheme, it is 

 quite clear that as the community acquires more land a 

 certain amount of it would be put to the best use by affores- 

 tation. If this Avere undertaken under the supervision of a 

 well-equipped forestry department of the Board of Agricul- 

 ture it would not prove an expensive matter. A great deal 

 of common land in Surrey, for instance, is highly suitable for 

 the purpose and could be afforested without heavy 

 outlay and without risk. The present value of the 

 trees that arc now growing on it is low and would involve 

 no risk to the purchaser. The sporting value could be 

 recouped if desired by letting the sporting rights ; and, 

 apart from these two things, £2 10s. per acre capital value 

 is almost all on which interest would have to be provided 

 until the newly planted woods began to yield. The value of 

 the land for planting would be nearly doubled if temporary 

 fencing were permitted against rabbits directly the property 

 was acquired by the State. Legitimate rights (which are 

 very little exercised) would not be interfered with, while the 

 provision of extra winter work would prove most popular. 



Afforestation is not a panacea, but it is a necessary part 

 of the scheme of rural development. It improves the value 



