14 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
the University would arouse could not but lead to further 
developments, through which we should attain to a full realisation 
of our hopes. 
And now, gentlemen, I have done, and you will all be eager to 
get off upon the extremely interesting Excursion that has been 
arranged. One thing in connection with it remains for me to say. 
You will remember the cordial reception aeeorded to the Society 
last year by Mr Edward Balfour, younger of Balbirnie. This year 
Mr Balfour is not able to join the Excursion as he had wished, but 
shows his and Mrs Balfour’s interest in our proceedings in the very 
practical way of an enclosure to the Secretary of a cheque for £11, 19s., 
to pay the expenses of the Excursion for two cadet foresters, members 
of the Society. Your Council have carried out Mr Balfour’s inten- 
tion in this way. The forester who has done best in the classes at 
the Royal Botanic Garden, and who was qualified as a member of 
the Society—John F. Annand—has been selected in the first 
instance as one of the two to go under this gift, and for the 
second place a ballot was taken, with the result that William 
Forgan, a young forester at Lynedoch, on the Scone estates, has 
been chosen. I need not tell you that your Council passed a 
special vote of thanks to Mr and Mrs Balfour for their generosity, 
and I am sure you will all heartily concur in that vote. It 
appears to me that this example is one which other proprietors 
might well follow, not necessarily acting through the Society, 
but sending young men from their own estates, for the small 
outlay involved in sending a young forester on these instructive 
excursions would be more than repaid by the increased interest 
he would assuredly take in forestry, and by the improvement 
which contact with experienced men necessarily brings with it to 
an intelligent mind. 
