I909-] Report on Afforestation. 855 



Systematic sylviculture aims at the production of a steady and 

 continuous supply of marketable timber. To ensure the maintenance 

 of these supplies the area should be divided for planting by the average 

 number of years which the crop needs to mature; for example, if 

 the life of the crop be taken as eighty years, the area to be afforested 

 every year would, out of a total area of 9,000,000 acres, be 112,500 acres. 

 But a more rapid system of planting may be adopted without seriously 

 complicating the rotation, and, further, some adaptation to the temporary 

 fluctuations of the labour market is feasible. 



The distribution of this 9,000,000 acres of suitable land is somewhat 

 irregular. By far the largest areas are to be met with in the West and 

 North of England, and throughout similar regions in Scotland. Ireland 

 and Wales also contain a relatively large amount of this type of land. 

 In the South and East of England, on the other hand, the areas in the 

 aggregate are less extensive. Great diversity exists in the size of 

 these areas, some counties offering large contiguous stretches, while in 

 others the areas are characterised by their discontinuous nature. 



Administration. — The administration of national forest lands should 

 be entrusted to special Commissioners. In dealing with these lands, 

 sub-division into distinct districts, with an executive and administrative 

 sub-centre, commends itself from various points of view. Thus local 

 employment would be afforded, local subsidiary industries would be 

 encouraged, public recreation grounds would be provided, and, in 

 connection with the establishment of such forests, small holdings would 

 undoubtedly be multiplied. 



Afforestation as a State Enterprise. — Sylviculture in the United 

 Kingdom is an enterprise which rarely appeals to the private 

 landowner or capitalist. The prolonged time for which capital must 

 be locked up before any return can be expected, the loss of rent and 

 burden of rates over the whole period, and the absence of security for 

 continuous care and management, act as deterrents. None of these 

 objections applies to the State, whose corporate life and resources lend 

 themselves in an especial degree to an undertaking of this character. 

 If the State plants, it will certainly reap, which the individual owner 

 can rarely hope to do. 



Process of Afforestation. — If afforestation be promoted on a large 

 scale, the provision of suitable lands is the first step. For this purpose 

 a general survey should be made, and the extent and distribution of 

 such lands ascertained. As a rule it will be found expedient for the 

 State to purchase from time to time such areas as are destined for 

 planting, but some progress may conceivably be made along the lines 

 of profit-sharing, in which case the owner would forgo the purchase 

 price. Experience proves that, although much of the land required may 

 be expected to be purchasable by voluntary treaty, yet compulsory 

 powers would be necessary to facilitate transactions where voluntary 

 treaty had broken down. The principle laid down in the Small 

 Holdings Act of 1907 for the acquisition of lands should govern these 

 proceedings, as to arbitration, restrictions and safeguards. Where 

 private owners can satisfy the Forest Commissioners that they are able 

 and willing to afforest, under their supervision and to their satisfaction, 

 and give an undertaking to that effect, compulsory powers should not be 

 enforced against such owners so long as that undertaking is fulfilled. 



Financial Aspect of the Afforestation Schemes proposed by the 



