26 THE FACTORS OF FOREST PRODUCTION. 



the treatment of the woods and the yield capacity of the locality. 

 In a general way it may be said that in Britain 4 days' labour 

 are annually required for every acre of systematically-managed 

 forest. This would represent about one-tenth of the labour 

 required per acre of field crops, but about ten times that required 

 in the case of light grazing on mountain and heathland. Very 

 little of the labour here under consideration can be replaced by 

 the use of machinery except in the case of clear felling of areas of 

 some extent. 



The transport of forest produce is a business of considerable 

 magnitude, as that produce is very bulky. It is carried by water 

 whenever possible, as that is the cheapest method of transport. 

 For land transport in the forest and in its vicinity, roads are, under 

 ordmary conditions, the most suitable means, because by them 

 not only the material obtained from final cuts, but also that of the 

 periodic thinnings can profitably be moved. Moreover, roads 

 serve as divisions between blocks and compartments and as fire 

 lines ; finally, they are indispensable for communication and the 

 proper control of operations. In the working of extensive areas 

 additional means of transport may be indicated, such as railways, 

 tramways, wire tramways, timber slides, &c. Such establish- 

 ments will, however, not be financially successful unless large 

 quantities of produce are carried over them. It has been esti- 

 mated that the amount of labour required for transport comes to 

 about half that necessary for administration and management. 



In forest industries labour is required to work up the raw 

 material yielded by the forests. Its amount is at least double 

 that required in administration, management and transport put 

 together. It includes labour required in saw-mills, house con- 

 struction, shipbuilding, carpentry, and in a large variety of other 

 industries, some of which can exist only in or near forests. 



No accurate statistics showing the actual amount of labour 

 required in various countries under the above three headings are 

 available, but it may be mentioned that in Germany such labour 

 is estimated to occupy 12 per cent, of the total population of the 

 country. 



An important point is that a great part of the work is indepen- 

 dent of the season of the year, and that it can be done when 

 work in other industries is slack, especially in agriculture. 



