4 6 



Land Available for Afforestation, [april, 



85 of 1874), tne estimated extent of land subject to common 

 rights in England and Wales was at that time 2,632,772 acres. 



In attempting to estimate the extent of so-called "waste 

 land " which might be available for planting, we may deduct 

 in the first instance, the land already under woodland and 

 also that which is under cultivation (i.e., returned as under 

 crops and grass). This leaves in round figures 21,000,000 

 acres. From this we may deduct the land above 1,500 feet 

 and the land subject to common rights, say, together, 

 6,000,000 acres. The area of urban districts may also be 

 deducted in a rough calculation of this kind, as, although 

 it comprises a certain amount of land included under other 

 headings, there is, on the other hand, a large aggregate 

 amount of land appropriated by the smaller towns and 

 villages which should properly come under this head. The 

 amount of " waste " area is thus reduced to 11,000,000 acres, 

 which total would include not only absolutely barren and 

 rocky land, but also a large area occupied by railways, roads, 

 quarries, mines, &c, outside urban areas. By this process 

 of exhaustion it will be seen that the amount of "waste 

 land" not under crops or woods, not above the 1,500-feet 

 level, not subject to common rights, and not included in 

 urban areas, comes to a total appreciably less than the area 

 returned as "mountain and heath land used for grazing." 

 The inference is that a certain proportion of this land (none 

 of which is included in the land under crops or woods) is 

 above the 1,500-feet level, or subject to common rights or 

 included in urban areas. 



The manner in which, at the suggestion of the Royal 

 Commission, the problem was approached in the inquiry 

 was to take the area returned as mountain and heath land 

 used for grazing as representing the extent of available 

 surface which might be utilised for afforestation, and to 

 estimate what proportion of this area in the six selected 

 counties might be regarded as actually suitable for planting. 



The gentlemen who were selected to report on these 

 counties were requested to say how much of the land returned 

 as " mountain and heath " might be regarded as suitable 

 for afforestation, whether it would be more profitably 



