372 Report of the Development Commissioners, [aug. 



is at present exceedingly small, and it obviously cannot be 

 increased at a moment's notice. 



The problem of increasing the variety of production is 

 likely to raise difficult questions both of principle and practice. 

 It is enough at this early stage to name flax, hemp, tobacco, 

 and beet as particular crops to which the Commissioners 

 propose to give attention, with a view to ascertaining whether 

 they can be grown in this country on a commercial basis, 

 and to possible schemes for advances from the Development 

 Fund for that purpose. They have appointed two gentlemen 

 of scientific training to investigate by inquiry at home and 

 abroad, and to systematise for their use the information avail- 

 able in regard to the first three of these crops. In regard 

 to beet, they propose to consider in consultation with the 

 Government Departments concerned the question whether it 

 is possible to make an experiment on a fairly large scale, 

 designed to show not whether beet of good quality can be 

 grown in this country (a point which they think may be 

 regarded as settled), but whether it can be grown at a profit. 



The fact has to be faced that such experiments are not very, 

 cheap, and that they may fail. But even in that case, the 

 Commissioners venture to suggest that, though lost, the 

 money spent will not have been wasted. It may be regarded 

 as the price paid for the knowledge that under existing con- 

 ditions a certain crop is not commercially possible in this 

 country, and its loss may prevent for the future the useless 

 expenditure of money and effort on a far larger scale. 



Policy in Regard to Forestry. — On the subject of forestry 

 development the Commissioners have formulated for their 

 guidance in considering British schemes and applications, 

 the following principles : — 



(a) That the first requirement for such development is 

 effective education in forestry at suitable centres, regulated 

 by organised research and demonstration. 



(b) That no scheme of State afforestation on a large scale 

 can be considered until investigation has shown where State 

 forests might be economically and remuneratively provided 

 (regard being had to the interests of other rural industries), 

 and until a trained body of foresters has become available. 



(c) That for the present applications for grants for the 



