190 THE ENGLISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. [Jan. 



culture, and horticulture iu all its phases would be of most advan- 

 tage; and that Edinburgh would probably be the most suitable 

 centre for such an establishment iu connection with the great Uni- 

 versity there. Agriculture and horticiilture, like twin sisters, had 

 progressed very materially during the present century, but arbori- 

 culture had been much neglected. The possibility of a wood famine 

 had turned the attention of the Governments of various countries to 

 protecting their timber resources. In America alone ten millions of 

 acres of forest were annually consumed, of which railroads and 

 manufactures used 175,000 acres. The re-aflbresting of Ireland 

 was being eagerly pressed upon the notice of the public and on the 

 Government by Dr. Lyons and others. That Ireland was a magnifi- 

 cent locality for the growth of timber was unquestionable. Mr. 

 Howitz, the Forest Conservator of Copenhagen, who inspected and 

 reported on the adaptability of Ireland for the purposes of re-afforest- 

 ing, said that in that direction they had found a key to a paradise 

 of wealth and prosperity. Mr. Howitz said that the Committee who 

 reported on the planting of the low-lying lauds in France near the 

 Garonne in 1857, predicted that the timber would add more than a 

 million francs to the wealth of France, and the prophecy, wliicli was 

 at first looked upon as wild, had been more than fulfilled ; and a 

 region which thirty years ago was one of the poorest and most 

 miserable in France, might now be ranked amongst the wealthy and 

 prosperous. When the poor maritime pine in such a regic_in could 

 furnish such results, what could not be done with the humid and 

 rich soils on the hiUs and ranges of Ireland, where the Vtest and 

 most costly trees of Europe and America would find a congenial 

 home ? The facts he had given should lead the Government to 

 consider some scheme whereby Ireland could be turned to account; 

 and if this were done, it would help to materially lessen the dii-e 

 poverty which exists, and still more the hostile feeling which prevails 

 towards Britain. He reviewed the results of the Forestry Exhibition 

 in Edinburgh, wliich was visited by 500,000 persons. It brought 

 •out the fact that several nations, Japan for instance, were ahead of 

 us in regard to forestry ; demonstrated the importance of the use of 

 wood pulp in paper-making ; and proved that he could produce hard, 

 durable, and brilhantly-coloured woods, to the cultivation of which 

 more attention should be paid than hitherto. Specimens of Scotch 

 fir timber from Balmoral exhibited qualities both of colour and grain- 

 ing unsurpassed by any imported coniferous woods. We had stiU a 

 great deal to learn regarding the best methods of seasoning timber. 

 There was to be a Forestry Exhibition at the Alexandra Palace next 

 year. It spoke well for the forestry of the north that the first 

 exhibition of the kind was taken up by the Scottish Society ; and he 



