ORIGIN OF VEGETATION IN NITHSDALE. 7 
For the recent history of the vegetation we are scandalously 
ignorant. Neolithic people were contemporaneous with the Pine 
forest of the Danish peat mosses and people with bronze weapons 
in the Oak forest period in the same mosses. What happened in 
-Scotland? Were these Pine forests, if they existed, destroyed 
by being cut down by stone and bronze axes? Were they burnt 
off, or were they grazed by goats, sheep, and Galloway cattle ? 
The importance of this question to us in Dumfries can 
scarcely be overrated. At present on these moorlands 1000 acres 
supports about one shepherd and half a gamekeeper. If they 
can be planted the same area would support 10 foresters and at 
least one whole gamekeeper. There are very many thousand 
acres of this country. 
Now from what I have said you will see how much remains 
to be done. We are behind other countries in the study of plant 
associations. We ought to study them, examine and catalogue 
the plants, and we ought also to take photographs of them. 
I know that Mr Barbour, Mr Lennox, and others have already 
done an enormous amount of work in this direction, but to get a 
complete picture of the distribution of the remains of each suc- 
cessive period is necessary for us to understand the life of early 
man in Dumfriesshire and his influence in Dumfries. 
We also propose this session to inaugurate a photographic 
section in accordance with a suggestion made to us some time ago 
by Mr Johnson-Ferguson. We shall hope to have photographs 
exhibited at every meeting, and I would call upon all members 
present who possess cameras to remember this. If the suggested 
club in Dumfries is started we shall hope to work in sympathy 
with it. I think in this next session we ought to have plenty of 
interest. 
14th October, 1905. 
OPEN MEETING. 
Chairman—The PRESIDENT. 
New Memsers.—Mrs George Thomson, George Street ; Mrs 
A. C. Penman, Airlie; Mr and Mrs J. P. Milligan, Aldouran ; and 
Mr Alex. Turner, Chemist. 
