AFFORESTATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 230, 22 June 1908, Page 7

AFFORESTATION.

BRITISH LEGISLATION PROMISED. ST TELKGUAPIt —FREES ASSOCIATION —COrrnlaET London, Juno 19.' Tho Primo Minister, Mr. Asquith, intends next year to legislate on. the question of afforestation. A FORESTRY POLICY. WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO BRITAIN;. In January, 1903, a-Departmental Committee (Mr. R. C. Munro Fergusson, chairman; Mr. R. H. Hooker, of tho Board o( Agricultnro, secretary) issued a valuable report on forestry in the United Kingdom. They said that the area of waste, heather, and rough pasture or land out of cultivation in the United Kingdom on which afforestation could be profitably undertaken is 21,000,000 acres, and that afforestation would furnish remunerative labour to an increased rural population, land under forests requiring more labour than the same area under sheep. The world is approaching a Hearth in its supply of coniferous timber, which constitutes between SO and 90'por cent, of tho total British timber imports, and which can be grown in the United Kingdom, and tho_ question is therefore a mattor of grave national concern.

In his book, lorestry in the United Kingdom," Dr. W. Schlich, Ph.D., C.8., F.R.S., estimates tlio home production of timber in the United Kingdom at 2,000,000 tons per annum, and says the British import of timber is rathor moro than 10,000,000 tons per annum. Of tho quantity importod abont 90 per cent, is pine and fir and oak, which could be grown in Britain. Omitting furniture and hard woods, the imports of timber in 100G were valued at 980,259. Dr. Schlich points out, further, that Europe has not been ablo, for a good many years, to supply from within its own borders the timber it requires. Tho two great exporting countries outside Europe are the United States and Canada.

But the Unitod States are working with a heavy deficit as oompared with production. They have, therefore, organised a Buroau of Forestry, and are, in steadily increasing quantities. .drawing on Canada. Dr. Schlich urges that 5,000,000 or 6,000,000 acres of waste land in tho United Kingdom should gradually be afforested. _ This ha estimates would require an expenditure on labour of about £2 per acre for planting. After the forests are-estab-lished, ' every acre would require about five days' labour a year. This, with the transport and working up the timber, would find profitable employment for a large numbor of people. At a conference of representatives of municipalities with Lord Carrington and Mr. John Burns, June 25, 1907, Mr. Burns said there are thirty-four local authorities which own or lease 90,000 acres. Bight afforestation schemes are being carried out by local authorities, but only 2000 acres are 'in. woodland. Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Bradford, and Manchester are developing forest land. Only 2} per cent, of British woodlands are in State possession, as compared with 12 per cent, in Frwee and Norway, 27 per-cent, in Sweden, 33 per cent, in Geria&ny, and 81 per cent, in Russia.

The Gortrnraent in 1907 arranged for tho purohaso of the estate of Interlivor, Argyllshire, which has an area of about 12,530 acres, with a view to its conversion into a State forest, under the management of tho Office of Woods and Forests.