12 Proceedings. 



OTAGO INSTITUTE. 



First Meeting} : 2nd May, 1911. 



The President, Mr. A. Bathgate, in the chair. 



Technological Section. — The President announced that the newly formed 

 Dunedin Technological Society had affiliated itself with the Otago Institute, 

 members of the society becoming full members of the Institute, with the 

 right to form a Technological Branch with control of its own lectures and 

 proceedings, and with power to select a chairman and officers to manage 

 the same. 



New Members.- — Professor (Miss) W. E. Boys-Smith, Mrs. Montgomery 

 Spencer, Messrs. J. N. Lawson, C. Parr, H. D. Skinner, D. L. Poppelwell, 

 A. Walker, and R. W. Rutherford. 



The following sixty-five members of the Technological Society were also 

 elected members : Dr. W. Newlands, Messrs. E. W. Ackland, L. 0. Beal. 

 D. E. Booth, H. Brasch, H. C. Brent, F. R. Brown, Ross Burt, W. E. Chis- 

 holm. B. B. Couston, E. C. Creagh, R. E. Davidson, W. R. Davidson, G. W. 

 Davies, C. Duke, G. C. Edgar, K. Edge, M. Elliot, G. Ferguson, P. Findlay, 

 A. C. Forsyth, H. V. Fulton, Joseph Fulton, C. Frye, G. W. Gough, H. J. 

 Gould, M. C. Henderson, G. T. V. Hobart, B. B. Hooper, J. T. Hungerford, 

 S. H. Howrth, R. C. Jones, A. Lambie, G. A. Lee, F. J. Lough, J. Lvthgoe, 

 W. L. McEvoy, D. McKenzie, H. McRae, W. P. Macdougall, jun.,"' Angus 

 Marshall, Watson Munro, Alex. Neil, T. R. Overton, R. V. Parker, T. A. C. 

 Preston, T. C. Ross, J. H. Scott, F. M. Shortt, D. Sherr.fE, George Simpson, 

 George Simpson, jun., F. W. Skelsey, J. A. Smith, R. E. Stark, J. Stark, 

 James Stark, H. Symes, S. Symington, R. S. Thompson. R. N. Vanes, R. D. 

 Veitch, T. S. Wansbrough, P. Y. Wales, and E. W. Walden. 



Address. — Mr. Bathgate then delivered his presidential address, entitled 

 " Some Neglected Aspects of Afforestation." 



Abstract. 



The lecturer dealt with some of the more neglected aspects of afforestation, and 

 pointed out that in addition to the primary object — i.e., the production of timber — the 

 other benefits of afforestation were chiefly two — -(1) climatic, and (2) conservancy of the 

 water-supply. The climatic effects were increased rainfall and shelter. The connection 

 between forests and the rainfall was fully considered, and in opposition to the opinions 

 of many modern writers it was urged that the presence of forests on mountain-slopes 

 probably favoured precipitation from clouds that would otherwise pass over causing 

 only mists, and that even where they do not increase the actual rainfall, forests affect 

 the distribution of rainfall. The climate of Central Otago and its possible alteration 

 by afforestation was fully considered under this head. The beneficial effects of forests 

 in affording shelter and equalizing the temperature were described at some length, and 

 special attention was drawn to the beneficial effects of tree-planting in Jutland. The 

 lecturer then dealt with the effects of forests in minimizing floods and in retaining the 



