PLANTING BY COUNTIES 41 



it comes into bearing, supply us with more than two- 

 thirds to three-fourths of our needs of the future. 

 But if the woods are scientifically managed, such an 

 area should place us in a position of safety in the 

 case of a sudden national emergency. Under proper 

 management such an area should yield some455,ooo,ooo 

 cubic feet of all classes of timber.' 



On the subject of cost, if we take an all-round sum 

 of £3 per acre for the felled-over area, etc., class, and 

 £j\ per acre for the waste lands,* our planting cost 

 would come to ;f4,5oo,ooo and £20,000,000 respec- 

 tively or a total of £24,500,000 sterling — about a 

 week's war expenditure. If 200,000 acres were 

 planted annually, the area would be planted in thirty- 

 two years. A planting plan should be drawn up, 

 county by county, under which the felled-over areas, 

 scrub areas, and the most accessible of the waste lands 

 would be selected, and the order of the planting be 

 laid down so as to ensure a proper arrangement of 

 the woods for felling purposes, etc. 



It may prove of use here to glance briefly at the 

 nature of the work which has been advocated in the 

 previous articles. It has been shown that our chief 

 imports consist of coniferous timber, pines, and 

 spruces, and that we can grow these species to per- 

 fection in this country. In fact, much of the waste 

 land whose afforesting is being considered will grow 



* We imported 454,000,000 cubic feet of coniferous timber and 

 14,000,000 cubic feet of pitwood in 1913. 



* This estimate makes no provision for netting the woods against 

 rabbits. The extermination of this pest is a first necessity in woods 

 managed on commercial lines. 



