SCOTTISH WOODLANDS AND FORESTS AND THE SACRIFICE OF IMMATURE TIMBER.
[To s'ax EDITOR OF THE " Era...urea.") Sin,--Scotland is being slowly robbed of her woods-one sacrifice to the war to which she has willingly given so much else. But is the sacrifice not more grievous than is needful ? One hears froth. all sides that it is too often the young and thriving woods that are being swept away while the older and riper timber is left. It seems that many think the lighter young stems make pit-props easier and cheaper than those that are more mature; but experts are telling us now that with little trouble the older trees can quite well be used, and so save the timber crop of next generation. One hears of the woodcutter even holding his hand from ruthless slaughter of promising woods ho is asked to sweep off, and foresters all over are shocked at what is allowed, and oven encouraged, it is said.
There is a Government-appointed Committee sitting in London to
regulate the supply of home timber. Will it not raise a hand to stay the destruction that has begun ? It includes men of knowledge and taste, many of whom 1 am sure are readers of the Spectator, and one at least writes sometimes in its columns. Prices are permitted, if not encouraged, several times higher than before the war, and great temrtation is held out to timber-growers to sacrifice future interests, shelter and beauty, and, alas ! many are falling to it, though by no means all. Later it may be necessary, and therefore right, if the war is much prolonged, to sacri- fice the younger woods ; but there is still a great deal of timber that is ripe to cut, and would not be much missed for shelter and beauty, and could be easily and cheaply marketed. Yet it is left and the other goes, more through ignorance, I hope, than resklessness or greed.
In no other country in Europe would this be allowed, but here we have neither science nor system in our forestry. Yet Government was given powers to prevent all this, and I think few landowners would object. Why are these powers not used ? The farmer here is forbidden to kill his calf, and to-day we have in Scotland two or three thousand calves more than last year, to help to make good war's wastage. For his wool, hay, and straw ho has to take a lower price than would begot in open market. There were grumbles at first, but these orders have been patriotically obeyed. I do not think the timber-grower would be less patriotic. He has got from Government substantial relief from Death Duties, and he escapes the War Profits Tax. If his woods are in the Highlands, ho gets for the war specially favourable freight rates for his pit timber, and lastly he can in many cases get Government help to replant and free advice from the Government Forest Officer of his district. With these advantage/ I can hardly think that any landowner would complain if. Government, acting on expert advice, wore to regulate the cutting of all timber and fix prices at moderate profit, during the war. Nor should he complain if the Timber Supply Committee made it a condition of the large pur- chases it is making and the high prices it pays that wherever suitable the land be replanted.
I do not know how matters stand in England. Hardwoods are not hi quite so great demand as Scots fir and spruce, so possibly England is suffering less than Scotland. Your interest and influence extend both North and South, and I ask therefore your support in this appeal.—I
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