TRANSACTIONS 



OF THE 



ROYAL SCOTTISH ABBORICULTUBAL SOCIETY. 



XII. Address delivered at the Forty-seventh Annual Meeting of 

 the Society, 31st January 1900. By the Right Hon. the 

 Earl op Mansfield, President of the Society. 



There is no doubt that the Annual Excursion of the Society 

 is not the chief end of the Society's endeavours. The word Arbori- 

 cultural is a word of much power and space, but I have often 

 wished that we could have had a more British sounding word that 

 would have been nearer akin to the word Forestry. However, in 

 the scope of our Society's operations lie all matters appertaining to 

 Forestry in general ; and I think it is advisable that each topic 

 which concerns our Scottish Forestry and Foresters generally, 

 should in turn be brought before the members at their annual 

 meeting. I trust, therefore, that I may not be thought to be over- 

 stepping the bounds of our special concerns as a Society, ever 

 ready to receive and give instruction, when I mention the topic to 

 which, with your kind permission, I wish to direct your attention 

 to-day. I confess, while the study of all things in Nature is most 

 interesting, the study of mankind, either in groups or as single 

 individuals, is to me infinitely more so ; and as in this life the 

 operations carried on to sustain, and even sometimes to improve, 

 what Nature has already prepared or given, have to be performed 

 by men, it is necessary to study the successive stages of educational 

 results and common practice that will be the means of achieving 

 such a performance. 



The subject, therefore, of my address to you to-day is " The 

 Practical Training of Foresters," I must apologise to so many here 

 who may say, and say rightly, that they know a great deal more 

 about this matter than I do, and my excuse must be to give an 

 opportunity of ventilating the subject through the medium of our 



VOL. XVI. PART II. M 



