In the aggregate, our supplies are by no means great, the total area at present under woodlands being only a little over three million acres, to which, however, must be added the amount of field and hedgerow timber—a by no means inconsiderable quantity. Of Plantation timber much is, however, of very inferior quality and only suitable for rough fencing and mining purposes, and this applies generally to that grown throughout England, Wales and Ireland. In Scotland, however, there are large areas of coniferous woods that were planted for purely economic purposes which will yield a certain amount of valuable timber for pit-props and other immediate requirements. The felling of Scotch, Spruce, and coniferous trees will, however, be a blessing in disguise, for of late years both demand and price for this particular class of timber have been by no means great and have hardly warranted the owners of vacant land in undertaking the much-needed extension of our woodlands. Larch, on the other hand, is scarce and always in demand at a highly remunerative price, as also are Ash, Oak and Beech of large size and good quality. It is useless to go into the question of how long our home supplies of timber will last, this depending largely on the volume of foreign importations and the duration of the war, but, judging from present demands, three years will find our plantations in a more or less depleted condition. The main question we have to consider and decide, without delay, is how our cut-over plantations are to be replaced by the replanting of exhausted woodlands and afforesting some of the waste lands of our country. Continental experience has demonstrated that, from a commercial point of view at least, State-owned forests are preferable to such as are owned either by public bodies or by private individuals. The resources and continuity of a nation will always make the State the best custodian of forest property; indeed, only the State can acquire the necessary land on the most favourable terms, and in sufficient quantity for the purposes of extensive afforestation. Private individuals—or, indeed, public bodies—labour under many disadvantages in this respect, not the least being the long period required—in most cases from fifty to sixty years—before the money expended in planting can be even partially recovered. Contrary to the conditions obtaining in the raising of agricultural crops, long periods have to elapse before the forestry harvest can be reaped. It will be obvious, therefore, that extensive tree planting is quite beyond the power of the private individual unassisted. It is a State business, in which systematic methods of cultivation, and large wooded areas are first necessities; and, unfortunately, in this country commercial forestry is but little understood—in fact, it may be described as an unknown industry.