KERRY WOODS. 45 



A change from one form of soil utilisation to another, however, 

 must be accompanied by a change in the life of the inhabitants of 

 the district, and, as has been very clearly pointed out in the recent 

 forestry survey of Glen Mor,* this may become a question of great 

 importance. Concurrently with the survey, therefore, inquiries as 

 to the probable economic changes must be made. 



A survey of this sort gives roughly the value for forestry 

 purposes of each acre of land surveyed, from the time it is put 

 under crop. When a large area of land is purchased for afforesta- 

 tion purposes, however, it is not planted up in a single year, and 

 for a considerable portion of the first rotation only a part of the 

 land must be managed as a forest, the remainder being utilised 

 as before. In addition, there will be certain expenses of a general 

 nature which have not been included in valuing the soil, such as 

 the provision of buildings, building of roads, clearing off stock, 

 and so on. These are questions which will differ with every 

 specific area which it is proposed to afforest. 



As a preliminary to the purchase of a definite area for afforesta- 

 tion purposes, or to the formation of a joint afforestation scheme 

 between a landlord and the State, procedure on the following lines 

 is suggested : 



1. A detailed survey of the area. 



2. The preparation of a general working plan, showing as a 

 minimum the order to be followed in planting. 



3. A calculation of the probable value of the soil for forestry 

 purposes. 



4. Estimation of the probable value of the whole area as a forest 

 after making proper allowances for unforeseen contingencies, such 

 as damage to crops from insects, fire, and meteorological causes. 



With regard to the preparation of the working plan it is 

 unnecessary to say anything here. 



The calculation as to the probable value of the land under forest 

 may be made on the following lines : 



Let A v A 2 A r be the areas to be afforested in the years i, 



2 r. 



Let S lt S% S r be the average soil expectation value of the land 



afforested in the years i, 2 r. 



Let 1} g^ g r be the average grazing value per acre of the areas 



1' 2 r ' 



Then the present value of the area A w , say, is the present value 

 of all grazing rents up to the (n-i)th year (or year of enclosure), 

 plus the present value of the soil expectation value in the nth year 



= present value (A n .g n for (n-i) years) 



+ ,, (A n .S n due in n years) 



= say, y n . 



* Trans : Royal Scottish Agricultural Society, Vol. XXV. 



