316 Great Britain. 
versification in which treeplanting received attention. 
Ever since that time, periodically and spasmodically, 
the question of forestry has been agitated, without 
serious result. 
From 1775 to 1781, the Society of Arts in London 
offered gold medals and prizes for treeplanting, and 
in the beginning of the 19th century a revival of 
arboricultural interest was experienced, perhaps as a 
result of an interesting report by the celebrated 
Admiral Nelson on the mismanagement of the forest of 
Dean, concern for naval timber giving the incentive, 
in which he recommended the planting of oak for 
investment. 
At that time a Surveyor-General, with an insuffi- 
cient force, was in charge of the crown forests. In 1809 
the management was placed under a board of three 
Commissioners, one of whom being a member of 
parliament was changed with the administration. 
Under this management, graft became so rampant 
that, in 1848, a committee of the House of Commons 
was appointed, whose report revealed the most aston- 
ishing rottenness, placing a stigma on government 
management such as we uncover in the United States 
from time to time. A reorganization took place in 
1851. At that time the royal forests and parks, 
reduced in extent to about 200,000 acres, showed a 
deficiency of $125,000, mostly, to be sure, occasioned 
by the parks. There was then still a tribute of some 
600 bucks to be delivered to various personages, as 
was the ancient usuge. 
At present there are some 115,000 acres classed as 
royal forest, but only 57,000 acres are really forest 
