240 EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN FORESTRY 



very often at present, because it will be possible to 

 devote more time (i.e. labour) to it. 



It is at least open to doubt whether in normal times, 

 labour (i.e. the class of labour required) for carrying 

 out the large planting schemes which should be put 

 in force would be available if we adhere to the con- 

 servative practices of the past, and rule out of con- 

 sideration the employment of women and girls in 

 forestry operations. It has been stated that in some 

 of these latter, women could do as well, if not better, 

 than men. To make this contention clear it will be 

 necessary to glance briefly at the various operations 

 connected with forestry work in this country in which 

 women could be employed. Our plantations are for 

 the most part what is termed artificially formed — 

 i.e. the young plants are raised in a nursery, and 

 planted out when old enough, usually three to four 

 years, on the area on which the wood is to be formed. 

 According to the distance apart at which the young 

 plants are spaced, which varies with the species, eleva- 

 tion, etc., from 1,750 to 3,500 plants will be required 

 to the acre. It is quite easy to reckon, therefore, that 

 if planting operations on any large scale are to be 

 undertaken by artificial means, millions of plants of the 

 requisite age will be required, and will have to be raised 

 in nurseries. Two distinct forestry operations are 

 dealt with above — the raising of plants in the nursery, 

 and their planting out to form woods. During the 

 early life of the young plantations a certain amount of 

 supervision work is necessary. A heavy growth of 

 weeds may threaten the young plants with suppression 

 and death during the first two or three years. The 



