39 
The ‘“‘Seafield Arms” was soon reached, and here for the 
second time the compavy wereentertained by the Countess Dowager 
of Seafield. The Members sat down to luncheon in the Town 
Hall, Mr Campbell, chamberlain to the Countess Dowager of 
Seafield, presiding, who was supported by the Council of the 
Society and several local gentlemen, including the Rev. W. T. P. 
Macdonald, parish minister, and Mr Bruce of Tochieneal. 
After luncheon, the CuarrMAn, in the name of the Countess 
Dowager of Seafield, welcomed them all to Cullen. Her lady- 
ship, he said, was the largest owner of woodlands in the United 
Kingdom, and had taken a life-long interest in arboriculture. 
The late Earl of Seafield carried out planting on an extensive 
scale in Strathspey, which left it much fairer and richer than 
he found it. From these extensive plantings it can now be 
practically demonstrated that afforestation is the best use to 
which much of the land in the Highlands can be put. It would, 
he believed, to a large extent eventually solve the Highland 
problem. He thought the Seafield family deserved the thanks 
of the country for their spirited enterprise in afforesting so 
great an area in Strathspey. He then proposed the toast of 
the “ Royal Scottish Arboricultural Scciety,” and commended the 
Members for the good work they were doing. He thought that 
they in Scotland owed its Members a deep debt of gratitude. It 
was not creditable, he said, that in Scotland there was no Chair 
of Forestry at any of our Universities, and he thought that, 
seeing the Society had already contributed £400 towards the 
endowment of one, the Government should take the matter up, 
and grant the remainder of the sum required to endow 
the Chair. 
Mr MertuvEN, on behalf of the Society, begged Mr Campbell 
to thank the Countess Dowager of Seafield for her kindness 
and hospitality to the Members, and expressed the great pleasure 
it gave them all to have had an opportunity of inspecting the 
splendid policies and woodlands on the Cullen estate. 
Mr Meruven then proposed the health of the Countess, which 
was received with the warmest acclamation. 
The toasts of the chairman, Mr Campbell, and the guides, Messrs 
C. Y. Michie and J. Fraser Smith, were also proposed and 
enthusiastically received. 
The party then walked to the railway station, and taking train 
at 1.10 p.m., reached Elgin again in an hour afterwards, 
