82 FORESTRY IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 



future requirements of the Royal Navy. As it was found in the 

 nineteenth century that oak timber was no longer required for 

 the Navy, no further efforts of afforestation by the State were 

 made. 



About the year 1880 questions were raised as to the more 

 profitable management of the Crown Woods, the utiUzation of 

 waste lands and the more extended production of coniferous 

 timber. A ParUamentary Select Committee investigated these 

 questions, and suggested, in the first place, the establishment of 

 a School of Forestry either on the Hnes of that at Coopers Hill, or 

 in connection with it ; also the estabhshment of a Forest Board 

 to deal with educational matters. Practically, these suggestions 

 were not carried out, but they were followed by a series of other 

 Committees and Commissions, such as : — 



The Departmental Committee of the Board of Agriculture, 

 1902. 



The Departmental Committee on Irish Forestry, 1907. 



The Royal Commission on Coast Erosion, 1909. 



The Departmental Committee on Forestry in Scotland, 1911. 



The Advisory Committee on Forestry, 1912. 

 The report of the Royal Commission of 1909 led to the establish- 

 ment of the Development Commission. 



It is not necessary to record here in detail the proposals made by 

 the above-mentioned committees, but to state that the results 

 were not up to expectations. Two schools for forest subordinates 

 were estabUshed at the Dean and at Avondale in Ireland, and 

 lectureships at several agricultural colleges and universities. In 

 Ireland, forest surveys were started and some land for afforestation 

 and some depleted forests acquired. A Railway Fire Act was 

 passed. The Development Commission assisted to some extent 

 education, research, experimental work, provided funds for 

 advisory work on private estates, and gave some moderate grants 

 to assist the afforestation of waterworks catchment areas. With 

 the exception of Ireland no real progress was made in the afforesta- 

 tion of additional areas, except what was done by the Commis- 

 sioners of Woods. The latter acquired the Clearwell and Tintern 

 Woods, which, with the Dean and High Meadow Woods, represent 

 a wooded area of over 17,000 acres ; they also acquired the 

 Inverliever estate of 12,000 acres in Scotland. 



