1884.] EDITOR'S BOX. 443 



FOBESTEBS AND THE INTEBNATIONAL FOBESTBY 



EXHIBITION. 



Sir, — On looking over the ' Editorial Notes ' of ' Forestry ' for 

 March, I find it stated that, * It is a remarkable fact that foresters 

 are exhibiting an unaccountable amount of diffidence in entering into 

 the spu-it of the forthcoming Exhibition.' 



This is a very important keynote to the subject in hand, and it 



may well be doubted if foresters are responsible for the uncertain 



sound which has been given forth in regard to this matter. 



I, for one, do not think so. It must be remembered that foresters 



are not landed proprietors. They are only servants to their masters, 



and unless their masters will it, it is easy to understand that 



foresters of themselves can only make a very small move in the 



matter. It is comparatively easy to promise £50 or ^OlOO, as the case 



may be, to aid in a guarantee fund ; but unless there are willing 



heads and hands it will be only an abortive effort after all, and the 



gu.arantee fund will go for nothing. However, it is to be hoped that 



any apparent indifference on the part of landed proprietors and their 



foresters will yet be made up for by a mutual approach towards each 



other, and that my lord will be heard to say to his forester some of 



these fine mornings, ' John, are you having anything looked out for 



this great International Exhibition, because I want to do all in my 



power to make it a success. I have already promised £100 to aid in 



a guarantee fund ; but, John, do you not think it would be well to 



put the £100 to some use in the way of bringing some things of 



practical interest on this estate before the notice of the public — thus 



making the whole affair a success, and doing away with the possibility 



of any need of a guarantee fund ? ' No doubt John will be heard to 



say, ' You are quite right, my lord. I was always thinking of saying 



something to your lordship about it, but I was aye waiting to hear 



what you would say yoursel'. There's no muckle time to put off, and 



whatever is to be done must be done at once.' 



Now, I believe that this, in most cases, is the true solution of 

 the apparent indifference of foresters in connection with the forth- 

 coming Exhibition ; and if proprietors would take a practical 

 interest in the matter, I am perfectly certain that foresters as a body 

 will not be found wanting. It is not yet too late, and I think if 

 Mr. Cadell, the secretary to the Exhibition Committee, were in- 

 structed to forward circulars to all landed proprietors and their estate 

 managers, asking them to do all in their power in the way of bringing 

 forward whatever may be of practical value and interest to the forth- 

 coming Exhibition, there would be a willing response. 



Another thing : I hope when the time comes that foresters will 



