i68 THE AFFORESTATION SCHEMES 



larger part of our requirements. Moreover, many 

 landowners will probably continue to grow crops of 

 this nature as heretofore, provided the State assists 

 them with the replanting of the felled areas, and sets 

 them the example by acquiring land and maintaining 

 such Crown forests of this nature as have existed up 

 to date, for instance, the Forest of Dean, and so on. 



The Forestry Sub-Coramitt^e recommended that 

 the area of 1,770,000 acres should be planted in a 

 period of eighty years, at a total cost of £15,000,000. 

 During the first ten years 250,000 acres are to be 

 dealt with at an estimated cost of ;£2,872,500. As 

 regards obSining the land, they recommend that 

 50,000 acres should be bought, 100,000 leased, 25,000 

 dealt with on the proceeds-sharing plan, 25,000 acres 

 afforested by Local Bodies and private persons, and 

 50,000 acres to be replanted. 



Compulsion should be made possible for the 

 acquisition of the land when necessary, in the case 

 of the waste lands, but should not be employed in 

 the case of felled areas when the proprietor can 

 prove that the land is to be put to better use than 

 for forestry purposes. 



The rate of planting would depend on various 

 circumstances — from 3,300 acres in the first year to 

 30,000 in the tenth year — ^but might be increased to 

 provide labour for demobilised soldiers if necessary. 

 It would admittedly be difficult to draw up a plan 

 of operations for any long period, since tiie data 

 available on the subject of cost, labour, areas to be 

 acquired, and so on are all in a state of flux at 

 present. As, however, the plants must be grown 



