A plea for shelter-belts of broad-leaved trees.

Abstract

Foresters in particular and the people in general are being increasingly reminded of the fact that the present emergency is resulting in very extensive clearances of woodland areas and in the rapid disappearance of farm-land screens, groups and isolated trees, mostly with adverse effects not readily foreseen and realised only after many years have passed. This fact automatically draws attention, as in the last world conflict, to the urgent necessity of taking steps for the reafforestation of cleared areas and for the speedy replacement of cut-over shelter belts and clumps. Immediate replanting, as foresters well know, is desirable if the entry of weed and scrub growth is to be blocked and before the damaged drainage on wet areas become itself a major problem requiring heavy expenditure before planting can be contemplated. Apparent and imperative as the need is, there are many difficulties to its early fulfillment, not the least being that the majority of these areas are in private ownership the difficulties of satisfactory afforestation by the private individual are legion and that they are usually small and widely scattered.