294 THE SCOTTISH AHB01UCTJ LTUllAL SOCIETY. [Sept. 



Baxter, forester, Dalkeith Park, Dalkeith ; John Michie, forester, 

 Balmoral, Ballater ; John T. M'Laren, overseer, Kennet, Alloa; 

 James Kay, forester, Bute Estate, Kothesay ; John M'Laren, forester, 

 Hopetoun, South Queeusferry ; D. F, Mackenzie, factor, Morton 

 Hall, Liberton, Edinburgh ; John Lament, nurseryman and seedsman, 

 Edinburgh ; Charles Buchanan, overseer, Penicuik House, Penicuik ; 

 Mr. James Watt, Carlisle. Secretary and treasurer — John IM'Laren, 

 jun., 5 St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Auditor — John Ord 

 Mackenzie, of Dolphinton, W.S., 9 Hill Street, Edinburgh. 



The proceedings of the meeting were pleasingly devoid of rigid 

 formality. No attempt was made at the reading of scientiiic papers. 

 Indeed, the Chairman led off in the fashion of entertaining and 

 instructive conversational discussion which prevailed through the 

 whole proceedings, and which would have been yet more pleasing 

 had the audience generally taken greater part in it. Dr. Cleghorn 

 referred to the good progress the Society had now made, as the funds 

 were in fair condition, and it now contained from 700 to 800 

 members at this its thirty-second anniversary. The International 

 Forestry Exhibition, the Society's great work, v/as yet affecting for 

 good in many ways the progress of forestal science. The excellently 

 complete account of the Exhibition in the new number of the 

 Transactions Vi^as by Messrs. Dunn & M'Laren, who had hid their 

 work in the modest garb of the anonymous. Then the volume of 

 Prize Essays just published, would be the standard literary memorial 

 of tliis great undertaking. Then there was Sir John Lubbock's 

 Parliamentary inquiry, which for a time only was suspended. 

 It had been said that Great Britain was not so needful of such a 

 school as other countries, because her abundant supply of coal 

 rendered the people comparatively independent of wood for fuel. 

 This was entirely beside the question, for the adoption of a complete 

 system of forest conservancy was of the very greatest practical 

 importance. There were about ten millions of acres of wood in 

 England, Ireland, and Scotland, at present of only nominal value, 

 which, under a proper system of constant conservancy, would l^ecome 

 a most important source of wealth. On that ground alone there 

 could not be the slightest doubt about the advisability of establish- 

 ing a Forest School. The forests of Norway and Sweden had now 

 been placed under conservancy regulations, with very great advan- 

 tage in every respect to those countries. Then, again, as Great 

 Britain possessed in her dependencies and colonies more extensive 

 forest lands than any other nation, it was important to provide for 

 this nation a thoroughly trained staff of practical foresters. To 

 Edinburgh was due the credit of having first taken up the idea of 

 forest schools, and with the view of establishing one, the Town 



