BRITISH FORESTRY WORK

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21198, 23 June 1934, Page 18

BRITISH FORESTRY WORK

CONSIDERABLE PLANTING LAST YEAR COMMISSIONERS' REPORT (i'ROU OUR OWH CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, May 14. More than 10,000 acrees was added to the woodlands of Great Britain during the year ended September 30, 1933. Nearly 52,000,000 trees were used and the work was done under the Comtrol of the Forestry Commissioners. It is the aim of the Commissioners, whose fourteenth annual report is published to-day to acquire each year the same acreage of plant&ble land as that planted, so that the area in hand shall remain as nearly as possible intact. During the year 17,091 acres was acquired, 15,335 being classified as plant- j able. The total area planted by the Commissioners to the end of last Septem-1 ber was 232,711 acres, most of the I acreage being used for conifers. I State assistance was provided for I private and municipal owners for the I planting of 4580 acres. | High temperatures and drought considerably affected the operations of the i Commission. The general average of precipitation of rainfall during the year was not more than 81 per cent. Plantings and the Commission's nurseries felt the effects of this shortage. The mortality among plants was, howover, much less than in the previous drought summer of 1921. Cause Of Fires The number of fires was considerable in view of the conditions. Ther<! were recorded 623 fires, which was one of the largest figures. The amount of damage done was the most extensive since 1929. Fifty per cent, of the fires resulted from sparks from railway engines, and 19 per cent, were caused by the general public. The Commissioners state that they have given considerab attention to the "difficult question" of the utilisation of home-grown timber. Various steps have been taken in order to ensure the use of a larger amount and the movement for increasing its use has met with widespread support. Five additional training camps for the unemployed have been established. The total number is now twelve. In regard to finance the balance in the Forestry Fund at the start of the "forestry year" was £235,678. Expenditure amounted to £76,394 for acquisition of land, buildings, and standing timber. The average rent or feu duty for land acquired for forestry operations during the year was 2s 9d an acre, and the average price for such land purchased about £2 19s 6d an acre. The net total area acquired up to September last was 726,599 acres—6o per cent, in England and Wales and 40 per cent, in Scotland. Imports of timber, wood manufactures, and pulp and wood all showed an increase in quantity and in most classes in value also.