1883.J SCOTTISH ARBORICULTUBAL SOCIETY. 41 



making progress in Britain, and to some of these tokens of vitality and growing 

 interest I propose now shortly to direct your attention. 



Many of you are aware that for some years there have been two British 

 journals devoted to the discussion of forest matters, one published monthly ia 

 London, called the Journal of Forestri/ and Estate Management, and the other 

 printed in India, also monthly, under the title of The Indian Forester. The latter 

 contains translations of continental works of forestry, and notes of general 

 interest on forestry, natural history and horticulture, besides facts specially 

 relating to India. That which was the .Journal of Forestry commences a new 

 series, and now appears as Forestry : a Magazine for the Country, enlarged to 

 eighty pages, and we may say of it, under the care of Mr. Heath, as of the 

 Indian journal, edited by Mr. W. R. Fisher, that we wish the new series every 

 success. Both periodicals are pi'ocurable from our friend Mr. Rider, of 

 Bartholomew Close, who has travelled from London, to attend our anniversary 

 meeting. Another important serial, published by this enterprising firm, Messrs, 

 Rider and Son, is the Timber Trades .lourmd and Sawmiil Advertiser, a 

 journal not so much for the forester and grower of timber as for those who- 

 have timber to dispose of, or for those who wish to buy. It is the recognised 

 organ of the timber trade, and in its pages are recorded the fluctuations- 

 of the timber market and their cause, financial matter which aflfects the pocket 

 of us all. 



Here I may mention a singular fact. It appears from a correspondent in 

 'Forestry' for September, p. 385, that on most of the railways of thi» 

 country the rates are in favour of foreign timber. We learn that timber was. 

 actually conveyed from Liverpool to Birmingham at the rate of -^fd. per ton 

 per mile, while home-grown timber from Addlestropto Birmingham was charged. 

 3gd. per ton per mile. The only exjilanation offered is, that foreign timber being 

 in planks or battens, is less hurtful to rolling stock than heavy logs of oak or ash, 

 which are not so easily transported ; but this does not warrant so great a diff'erence 

 of rate. This difference arises from there being two systems of charging, one by 

 weight, and the other by cubical contents, and these systems ought to be 

 assimilated. One of the most remarkable instances of this discrepancy is in the 

 case of British pit props, which are being rapidly superseded by Norwegian and 

 Swedish timber, owing to the low rates at which it can be imported. 



A similar remark may be made regarding the inequalities of carriage for 

 British and foreign grown grain. A like undue burden lay not long ago on. 

 home breeders of stock for which a higher rate of freight was charged than for 

 imported animals ; but that inequality has, I believe, been removed by the 

 Board of Trade. It is hard on the producer of timber grown in this country 

 that, in addition to other obstacles to his suceess, unequal rates of carriage should 

 be charged ; and a representation from this Society to the jiroper quarter, that the 

 rates should be equalized, might be followed by good results. 



There is not yet any marked progress to report as regards arrangements for 

 opening a School of Forestry in this country, but it is evident that our efiforts in 

 this dii'ection have not been in vain, for on 2ad August last Sir John Lubbock,. 

 Bart, M.P., the distinguished President of the -Linnean Society, brought 

 the matter before the House of Commons, when the vote for the Office of Woods 

 and Forests came on for discussion. He stated that the highest authorities had 

 expressed a very strong opinion in favour of the establishment of a Forest School,, 

 and pointed out in forcible language the loss which the present system entailed 

 upon our landowners. Mr. Courtenay, Secretary of the Treasury, acknowledged 

 the value of Sir J. Lubbock's suggestions, and promised that the subject should 

 not be lost sight of. Here the matter rests for the present 



