1885.] EXGLISn ARBORICULTURAL S0CIP:TY. 417 



wrouiilit on their behalf. Mr. Davidson liacl been diligent, and 

 intelligently diligent, in advocating and pushing the claims of the 

 Society, and he was gLad to notice that the number present at that 

 excursion was nearly double that which attended last year ; and he 

 hoped that next year they would be doubled again, lie also hoped 

 that their excursions would always be as pleasant. Their pleasure 

 was greatly due, in the first instance, to Sir William Armstrong, and 

 in the second place to IMr. Bertram, who had so kindly shown them 

 over the whole place. He coupled the toast with the name of their 

 secretary. 



Mr. Davidson, in replying, said it was certainly gratifying that 

 the Society was making such progress. Theirs was a beginning of 

 very recent date, and there had been a good deal of hard up-hill 

 work. Landed proprietors generally looked with rather a suspicion 

 on that congregation of foresters and nurserymen. They had 

 erroneous ideas as to the character of the Society, but they were 

 now beginning to see by the progress of the Society scientifically, 

 and such excursions as that of that day, that the Society meant real 

 business. They meant to go on, not only seeking to benefit foresters 

 and nurserymen, but the whole country at large. There was great 

 need for such a society. The science of forestry should be spread in 

 every direction, especially in our own country, if it were for nothing 

 more than to protect us. from the winds that were sent to us from 

 America. He hoped that what they had seen that day of the efforts 

 in that direction would induce other proprietors to follow the 

 example of Sir William Armstrong. 



Mr. Watt asked permission to make one remark. At a previous 

 meeting a valuable paper was read by Mr. Baty. Many people 

 thought that Mr. Baty's returns were overstated ; but in the com- 

 pany that afternoon was the representative of a ducal proprietor, who 

 during the last twenty-five years had handed the owner nearly 

 £100,000 for w^ood, or 30 shillings an acre per annum over the 

 whole period, for land which otherwise was not worth half-a-crown 

 an acre. He thought those figures very interesting and worthy of 

 publication. 



The health of Mr. Bertram was proposed by the secretary, and 

 briefly acknowledged ; and " The Press " (proposed by Mr. Doughty, 

 and responded to by Mr. Macdouald) and " The Ladies " terminated 

 the day's proceedings, which seemed highly productive of pleasure 

 to all. 



