DAMAGE BY DOMESTIC ANIMALS 123 



result in the larger part of the plantation having 

 to be replanted, and may involve the loss of several 

 years' increment, which in plain English means that 

 the wood will be so many years longer before it 

 reaches the age at which it will be ultimately felled 

 and yield the pecuniary return on the capital in- 

 volved. The damage caused is therefore not only 

 the material injury to the young trees, but results 

 in an eventual direct monetary loss in addition 

 to the extra outlay necessitated in replanting the 

 area damaged. Is there a law in existence capable 

 of inflicting punishment commensurate with the 

 offence or of affording the essential protection to 

 forest property ? 



The above examples, common enough on the 

 country-side, will suffice to show that it will be neces- 

 sary to pass a simple special Forest Act in this 

 country if adequate protection is to be afforded to 

 forest property in the future. 



Protection against Domestic Animals 



Domestic animals, such as cattle, horses, sheep, 

 and goats, cannot be admitted into young planta- 

 tions. Cattle browse on the young trees, especi- 

 ally hard woods, and through their mere weight 

 break down the young plants. 



Horses are very prone to gnaw the bark of hard- 

 wood trees, as has been exemplified in France and 

 elsewhere during the war. The horses were picketed 

 under trees to hide them from aeroplanes, with the 

 result that the bark on hundreds of thousands of 

 trees was gnawed off as far up as the horses could 

 ,9 



