WASTED TIMBER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1650, 6 January 1914, Page 9

WASTED TIMBER.

'-'sfivte hionts;, iQjofil! l; !' o .™''^; : 5 ! "!,'-JS k v ,t r,fn,it'.i;o asi j,eii'jii.iid>;'fiii 5 Mi!nlififrW( ; roW?na ; dts;siii l .afe : :fi!i!)^iiiiN<:vcnil)(.Viti;v^siiclf>;K!;p('rts^iV i ■™irvt; i .l,y()xfordi-(!iiiv<?rs , .iiVviilrSbj*K/! .■J-KrOind sA'? , !V-.-"illm]]i;;Sc]ilirh:4sMitl.;tlirft' : iii-' , -li;B'| ■opinion; a,lKKl,O(M)': , t.rii'fx;ji:utT(if ■Items oijwoortjat;i>r<wi'oiin'>qrte<!'ftouid: be groffn^iii^KiigliuKiy^lli^ljoTCVfr , ,'-! entered idea °l .' llsl !igS : l:ind"Slib^.for,'thos ,, |H : o(!nci-! ■ imi! ol■■?ico(ljor ; tlicSpiiriioii^ofSaffores- ] Ration, ■■■■.ipointinsVoiifrithatirniiil'Sjiiulor' .cultivation.■proyJde,d&.mo're*Vmplovim>nt j .it:, ■.a.ffo.f.of ■JS'niuch-.labonr , ;: , as ; i forest.';-- f" j^"A;fi-;.

■■'. Mr-; a year-wasf spent*oh:; ! foreißii' timber .ami . produced, at'fthoino "■■:,■ if ':■' only.'^a. fractl™. °[. t,l « waste lands-were-planted. - \6ir Ruhr Haggard'declared-that, tho timltpr of tliy world .was being wasted .everywhere..--:.- Thoiworkl-jyouKl. lose,- not only in regard*to7ftli§?hitility, of tho timber, but as. to; th'e? matter'.of-rain-fall, and in- many* , !.other- . It behoved the'peoplo'of/the'''.jvprlil to try to conservo to.try to replace what : f was.;; being"destroyed. If- the- selfishness'of!"man' : 'couldi.be curbed, his interest .of--the- Governmeiit i !°eiilistcd,- 1 something might. bojdone.^gi-|il;5;f.;: : ;;v. : : \' ;-.'/ Enormous Timber ,w.asto.J¥fSl: was more'sensible.'of the'extiemoJvalue of Sir William.;SchJich's:, ; labour'-"than ho was. "-Hi? J ?6wn----qualifications??;, to speak- on the- , " matter-..oorisisted'i'-iii his ha\-ing from liis;-l)oyhoocl'.- ! t.ikcii , .''ii;ilecp interest in it,. and ; from ■ the. , fact: that Iw Ms a member of: a Royal Commission which considered : .it/and'.came to conclusions with which' ,: iie believed Sir William thoroughly disapproved,.for he said the land available -was/six.;.million acres, whereas the Commission'- put it at ttin.o millions. ■ Tho waste, of timber which was going on , in , the..-world.-was enormous, from cutting'and!' from fire, and unless it could bo,checked,.then/ within tho next half-century; :■-.■■■ there would be something very like* a ..timber famine. ■ : -'•■

Ho had just "returned from'-follow-ing the Dominions Koyal Commission round Australasia, and he saw ■■ things thero raleuiisted to make the heart of any forester'bleed. He might' take-the .instance of tho kauri--pihc, in Nov.' Zealand, which, perhaps,- was the most -marvellous tree'in .the ..world. It-had been calculated that.some of-itheso trees had attained .thV ago,, of-6000 years. These trees wero beinj; destroyed, sometimes on tlin plea that they shonld-be turned into money, or.-.that.tlio-ground should be used -for'Vsbttlers, or-'-that lire might get to them.' r-Tho'- , same thing was going , on- , everywhere:! , ."' , ' In Australia and'" New Zealand he looked oil these--ghastly-stumps-wher-ever his eye fell.- Jiueh of the. land must be cleoml..--foiv':.seltlemenls j .-; but he had scon places,"especially in : ;NoTV Zealand, where ''-'no '.settlement-, .could ever Mine —cloof's ' iji .:'the-precipitous cliCls—and still there-'the. timber'- 1 was being burned, destroyed, ■; wasted.-,••■..'

The same thing was. isappeniiiif ■'■'jih England. Tho woods wo "had, = if. tlic'y. had not been scientifically"'-fostered, wero very beautiful, producing -the'oak, which-bad been of such 'service to our country in the past,,and was'.in-.a sense still our glory. These, woods wero rapidly lessened. -.. ■' '." " V/. ,:'■- ■ . Sir AV. . Snhlicli, 'whos, lias^;had . no fower than'3(3l'students'to'"'train- , in forestry, in his .speech reported by. the "Telegraph," gave, some important information as to what is being done in England. ■ :,.f,,.'/.. .*,&■'?:■■■.■';,■'??■ ■;■ 1G.000.000 Tans lmaorted."' :,: . ;■".-' '•'lt has been estimated., that- tho existing 3,000,000- acres of woodlands in England produce about ■' 3,000,(300 tons of timber, a liberal allowance, and wo import on an average 10,000,000 t-ous," ho said. . "Of that quantity only . 2,500,Q00 tons come from British colonies and 7,500,000 ton's ■ from foreign countries. We pay some £25.000,000 to £30,000.000. for that, timber, delivered at our ports. ' ■ '..-■■''. . ';

"Hebe, then, we have a serioiis mattor to consider. ..No" doubt, , part oi that £30,000,000 is returned to us in tho shnpo of freights, but tho bulk Roes out- of the country, .As to the labour question, there cau ■ bo' no , doubt that more of it will be required than if tho lands arc used for light grazing; , that , is to say, tho areas .which are hero under'consideration.-. "; ■ >, =:. "The Questions arc: (1) Is tho land available for.;the production of.- the timber, and (2) ..does it .pay to, grow it at homo? --.W : >■■

"The nianncr. in'which land; in' England is used is as- follows:—

"Areas under crops and" grass, 48 million acres-—63 per cent. , ..:■■.. ■ "Areas of woodlands, 3 million seres —4 per cent.'..,. ,, ■ ■■■ ;n : ' : '.

"Mountain and heath, million acres —20 ]>er cent... ,'. <.'.',".; ' .'. "Other lands, towns,,;etc., ■ 10.' million acres —13 per cent. ~"■ ■■'■-.

"It will at. once b0... seen that tlui laud for afl'orestiition-iwouhl have to bo taken out of the 15 million acres of 'mountain and heath haul.. This includes sumo'three and a half million acres .of deer forests in' Scotland, of which, 'perhaps; "• only" -■ t»nc-!ifth,- or 700,000 .■icres,,,«r<iild be, planlnble, leaving about 12 million acres. At tho very highest estimates, therefore,. not- more tlian 5 .to 0 million.acres,can : be .considered as plautablc'.. :'' 4 . :.->'. !.■:■-.. }f:. .;," : ,-"D6@s ;: Tjmft3r .P.oy?^''.-^;';',";' , "Deer 'forests yield..- , -a - ; ieverino all round of is, an-acre,-'and tho mountain, and., heath'-.lands perbaps, tho'.same.-'■!■■ .Uiiidod by my, fwip; oxperieiici',-- J.*li,-ivo. come'Cto thu-con-clusion, 'worth less than ■ lC'sP.an here a ' i vca'r. , -raii,-,*.under j,lio'.-niadfi- to "yield 3. .pes* ccut.' ! -'oti,'..tli«' i .inv(. , alt , d cnpital, allowing compound,inteiest.-all.'.rbund, under : a- byt!io«r>.- islamlsig-JigSvS-, ■,; xr'i £■;■ ,/,"?■■-

'i"."Of course, : i¥3-- I {per"pcrit'. % - intorcst'at the'pri ! sent-btt'<)iiifof:'nidii!-,lrial .and com- , mercrial activity -.ivill iiy.niaiiy people be locked nt..-..:wilh > -Vcoiit.'em])f... i '%Hiit 'thero are ups;:aiid;dovi-ns ■■iii...th.is',diroclion. and tho; timo^ ; may';.nnt : ",!!(>" very far oil ,when:a> eertnin , '... incom'p-.of. Mf.pcr ront. may oncb! worn.-lw l(iok<':]. iipuiriis highly desirable..;. ■..WoodsVionro. brought. under syslematiß managomentjiiii.id'troaUil according ' to , - c'orrei't^fivlyici.iijttiral.. prineiplcß, i>;ive ! ;a'.'steady .'iiicnnie year n't'ler

VO.-11-, !ind'''pr'ppriet(irs?-'caii '.'ll.'.iiighl'. put their' !ich{lsy ; (ino.ll!i-ir. pillows...-,vyitlmut i'tfip. Lllin. lips 'and down:? in tlip.oitv.'- -ThcsoiinaUPi's 'arn-- lu>itig gradually. tor. many.. yravs'-j'W diseussion,,-/ nnd'- un(•(■rtaiiity l)^ri!nlias\boi , ir':i ; dceidwl move -forward 1 hitlil.v'r'iiiM'hisl'-Uid, ■ Wales;: SeotlaiulJ;,i\!id;'lrc-l;iiid:ef;fcJW v? ;

ic|X-_ ■■.- Expor!mCTita|jForcstsVr?^::ff' ■*;£"U, ~' in forma t'io'ii'£c'()iil(l.' : »%bo. f ;.'' 'br'oli ght :tngetlicr.ai'Kr'a'Uyi«>jTi.btaiiH>d:**.A suit-, an 'office"." orcrirred. , ';ialJniltVfiighleb'n'.. months '(.'rnwti-i forcsts's?\vari2!n ! H!oS;.oi'wV;to the. ;.l*r.esi(leiit^fJ.th l^^suDentucMente'pfl/thdl'iinqw^-'liiroßt!

"and 3m was : assistants.-. ..!.. liavo. |tli<-K;Snttsia<-lmir that ait tlnw are-Jor-. jnerjpispils^iil' , mine. Mr. 'Kmicimaii jt'tmU-^nii -.<■;!t Jy (ipporhiitify of appointing ftuiiSfiidvisiiry, .■nmniitti'O oil •• .forestry, »itc] considered .several ((iics;tml'i»"siijiii'iittcil (o them. In fonsitlr'rnUi;;jV ; (ifjUrc I'iKit tli:tt, with tlu> vxcvp- ■ I ioir ol'"a'limited area of. Cro.wu forests, ViHjToivsts.'inul most of the land hrhinr, to< private; proprietors ami a fuw mtinicip;il|ti!;s,Sit», follows that any. measures for.iiicivascd ''afforestation nui.it provide primarily- ,, ': for the encouragement nf ■priy;il(>;., fnii'slry- mid leiive State forcatryJt'i 'stop in whoso necessary. ■The Advisory.- Committee, considering .thiit ! ''.Bevcral ■ universities have established-' schools of forestry for thooi'ct-ieal^trainiiig,-propose- to provide:— Is Being Done, '■:,.;& -.w \y'-i ! )-M.\. 'demonstration area in -the Forcst/of.fJeai)'; 'High Meadow Woods, :and< Tiiitt'i'ii .Abbey Woods, where stil■donts of. forestry could rereivo llio ne(.•cssiiry practical instruction instead of ■.having to go to the Continent for tlw inuposp.' ,, ; Tho. elementary school "for tho .training of : working foremen, already''established'in, the locality, could ;theii be further developed, ■ . .) '?A"2.'.k flying survey or preliminary l iiujiiiiy, so as to .ascertain what land is likely to prove suitable for alforesUi- .' tiofi, and which could be nioro profitably used for growing timber than to continue, it iii its present-condition anil use, to bo followed by a minute inquiry ■to examine, in detail any such suitable land.

. "3. Tlic establishment of five experimental forests in various parts of tho country, whor* experiments in sylviculture and the collection of statistics can k> carried on, so as to determine the best .methods of creating and iendiiiß woods and the disposal ..of the produce; these areas to servo as objectlessons, to private proprietors as well as to the State officials.

■■ "I. An arrangement to educate youths for forest work. The youths on leaving school at the ago of 14 or 15 years to be apprenticed as woodmen on approved estate's for at least'thj-eo years; then to send them oither to Hie Forest of Dean or Chopwell, or other similar school, in this way to provitln properly trained, working foremen ami Acad foresters. ■ A Moderate Beginning. ' "There--is every prospect that these proposals will shortly be put into exeeution. In the moan time tho. Treasury, has ]3rovidecl five advisory forest officers for England and. Wales, who are now at work advising private proprietors asking for their services as to the management of their woods. There is no fee :to ho paid for the officers, only actual expanses-limited to £1 Is. for everv field-day.

"The Treasury have also provided two research ofiicc-rs. Attached to Oxford and Cambridge Universities, one to conduct research into the distress of trees, and the other into the pronert'ies of timber.-

"The beginning thus made is rx?r" haps -on a moderate scale, but, I think, it liwives or, sound lines, so a.s to selvo this loitg-diseussed question of afforestation. "Let its hope that tho Development Commissioners, with whom tho matter now rests, will approach the subject in a liberal spirit. If the measures now inauguriited prove successful, there- is no reason whatever why the scheme should not. gradually he enlarged, according to requirements. The' scarcity in the world's timber fli.i))ply will come, that I am convinced of, but it- will come by slow degrees, and there is no need to launch into gigantic schemes like that recommended by a recent commission."