188G.] A NATIOXAL SCHOOL OF FORESTliY. 733 



Forestry, aucl with power to act, are endeavouring to raise £10,000 

 by subscriptions for the endowment of a ProfessorsJiip of Forestry 

 in the University. We are doing so under discouraging circum- 

 stances, making the endeavour, we may be allowed to think, the 

 more creditable to us, Init suggesting al^50 the expediency of pre- 

 ])aring fur the possible cojitingency of our not obtaining the amount 

 required. It was in view of this tliat these articles were written ; 

 but it may with propriety be asked, Has it come to this, tluit if the 

 committee do not succeed in raising that amount by private 

 subscriptions, the alternative must be an appeal to Government 

 either to make a grant in aid, or to undertake the work and carry it 

 out as a Government measure ? Tlie design of this paper is to supply 

 information in regard to what has been done, and so to enable any 

 one to form on this point an opinion for himself. 



In the spring of 1877, I published a hrocJuire entitled The 

 Schools of Forestry in. Europe : a Flea for the Creation of a School of 

 Forestry in connection with the Arhoretum in Edinhuryh, in which, 

 with details of the arrangements made for instruction in forest 

 science in Schools of Forestry in Prussia, Saxony, Hanover, Hesse, 

 Darmstadt, Wurtemburg, Bavaria, Austria, Poland, Pvussia, Finland, 

 Sweden, France, Italy, and Spain, and details of arrangements 

 existing in Edinburgli for instruction in most of tlie subjects in- 

 cluded amongst preliminary studies. I submitted for consideration 

 the opinion " that with the acquisition of the Arboretum, and with 

 the existing arrangements for study in the University of Edinburgh, 

 and in the Watt Institution and School of Arts, there are required 

 only facilities for the study of what is known on the Continent as 

 Forest Science to enable these Institutions conjointly, or any one of 

 them, ^vith the help of the others, to take a place amongst the 

 most completely equipped Schools of Forestry in Europe, and to 

 undertake the training of foresters for tlie discharge of such 

 duties as are now required of them in India, in our colonies, and at 

 home." 



Thereafter I was invited by the Council of the Scottish Arbori- 

 cultural Society to attend the annual meeting of this Society, and 

 bring the subject before the assembled members, which I did. The 

 President, the Plight Hon. W. P. Adam, of Blair Adam, M.P., in his 

 opening address, referring to the subject in question, said : — 



" He cordially endorsed and enforced what had been so well begun. 

 There would be, no doubt, some difficulties in obtaining recognition 

 from Government of this necessit}-, and it would probably not be 

 till after a long period of pressing application, and till public 

 opinion had been brought to bear, that the public purse-strings 

 would be drawn. Another difficulty was the fact that, whatever 



