1909.] Land Available for Afforestation. 



47 



utilised than at present if it were planted, and, in general 

 terms, what class of timber would be most suitable for it. 

 They were also invited to add any general observations as 

 to the present average rental value of the land, and remarks 

 on the probable effect of a wide extension of woodland in 

 the district. 



The proportion of the mountain and heath land used for 

 grazing which was reported as suitable for planting ranged 

 from nil in Wiltshire to 44 per cent, in Lanark, and 71 per 

 cent, in Suffolk. Taking the six counties as a whole it 

 appears that of the 508,664 acres of the land returned as 

 mountain and heath in 1907, about 33 per cent, may be 

 regarded as suitable for afforestation. 



There is no statistical justification for assuming that the 

 " sample " taken by means of this inquiry is representative 

 of the bulk, or, in other words, that the proportion of 

 suitable land found in the six counties can be properly 

 applied to all the remaining counties. Sufficient information 

 has been obtained, however, to indicate that very large 

 deductions must be made from the total area returned as 

 mountain and heath to arrive at a figure which would repre- 

 sent land suitable for planting. The reports seem to suggest 

 that a large part of the land over 1,500 feet is included in 

 the area returned. If it is assumed that out of the 3,537,000 

 acres above 1,500 feet two millions were included in the 

 returns of mountain and heath land, that area from the 

 afforestation point of view would be reduced to less than 

 1 1 million acres. 



The suitability of land other than that included in the 

 returns of mountain and heath land used for grazing was 

 not, strictly speaking, included in the inquiry, although it 

 is referred to incidentally in the reports, and is sometimes 

 confused with it. Apart from rough or waste land, which, 

 not being used for grazing, is not returned under this 

 heading, the suggestion is made that there is a certain 

 proportion of the 32 J million acres returned as cultivated 

 land which is of very low value for farming purposes, and 

 might be taken into account in a general survey of land 

 suitable for afforestation. 



