THE UTILISATION OF LAND UNSUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURE. 27 



Committee of the House of Commons. He among others gave 

 evidence, and he heard one landowner, who had been himself 

 engaged in forest management in India, state that there was a 

 time when he could use his own timber for purposes of his estate, 

 but that there came a time when he found that Norwegian timber 

 could be delivered cut at his own door at a cheaper rate than he 

 could supply it from his own woods. When they heard that, it 

 seemed perfectly useless to try and impress people with the 

 statement that it would be a good thing to invest money in this 

 particular industry. He had heard it said that the timber supply 

 of the world would give out before that of the coal. In that case 

 the condition of things would be very much changed, and timber 

 would be of greater value than at present ; but as long as there 

 were inexhaustive tracts of soft woods, especially in the northern 

 hemisphere of the New World, he did not see how it was possible 

 in this country to produce timber which would compete with 

 that brought to our shores. At the same time, the discussion of 

 the subject could not fail to be of use, although he did not think 

 any very definite or decided general principles could be laid down 

 as regards wood cultivation in this country ; yet astute persons 

 in different localities might, even under present conditions, get 

 good results. For example, Elm wood — and he could speak 

 from experience — was practically unsaleable in the neighbour- 

 hood of London, but in Gloucestershire it commanded a good 

 price, because locally Elm wood was found to make the best 

 boxes for packing South Wales tin-plates. It was the only wood 

 which did not deteriorate the polish of the tin-plates. He could 

 mention other instances of local industries which were still 

 profitable. It was difficult, however, to see what inducement 

 could be held out to get a man to plant for posterity as a duty 

 incumbent upon him. The Dean and Chapter of Durham were 

 planting some of their own estates, but they were a landowning- 

 body, and not subject to the vicissitudes of the private owner. 

 Anyhow, instructive experiments might be made, and a discus- 

 sion of a paper so ably and impartially written could not fail to 

 be of use. 



The Conference at this stage adjourned for luncheon. At 

 3 p.m. the Conference re-assembled in the Great Vinery. 

 Sir Alexander J. Arbuthnot, K.C.S.I., presided. 



