REPORT. 



Scope of the Enquiry. 



The enquiry was set on foot to answer as far as possible the 

 following questions : 



1. What quantity of home-grown pit-wood can be relied on? 



2. At what rate are supplies coming forward ? 



3. Is that rate satisfactory ? 



4. If not, what are the difficulties which prevent supplies from 



coming forward ? 



5. Is the material being obtained by the most suitable sylvi- 



cultural methods ? 



6. Is the trade being carried on fairly between all parties 



concerned ? 



7. Is the amount of pit- wood in the country sufficient for the 



needs of the collieries until normal conditions obtain ? 



Method of Enquiry. 



The collection of data has been undertaken by the Board's 

 Forestry Inspectors and Advisory Officers who have been able, by 

 personal inspection of woods and consultations with agents, to 

 return more or less complete answers to the above questions for 188 

 estates representing 249,846 acres of woodland, or approximately 

 13 per cent, of the total area of woods in England and Wales. In 

 order to get first-hand knowledge of the uses to which mining 

 timber is put these officers have also visited and inspected the 

 surface and underground workings of 20 mines in various districts. 



The information collected under each head of the enquiry is 

 discussed below. 



1. What Quantity of Home-grown Pit-wood can be relied on ? 



This section of the enquiry was subdivided under three heads : 



(a.) The quantity normally felled. 



(b.) The quantity which would be forthcoming by anticipating, 



say, three to five years' fellings. 

 (c.) The total quantity, assuming that it were necessary for 



national reasons to cut heavily into the capital of the 



woods. 



Table I. below summarises for the estates actually inspected the 

 estimated amount of pit-wood falling under each of the heads 

 (a), (b), (c). 



