26 i TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



America, but in China, Australia, South America, and South 

 Africa, so that it was clear that we were on our way to a timber 

 famine. He gave us fifty years only before such a catastrophe 

 should take place. His recommendations were — (1) that the 

 destruction of forests should be stopped, partly by strict legis- 

 lative measures on the part of Governments, partly by making 

 private forest owners understand that their interests lie in taking 

 care of the capital stock, and only exploiting so much as may be 

 calculated to be the interest on it ; (2) that forest property should 

 be helped by not being too heavily taxed; (3) that measures 

 should be at once taken to utilize all available waste lands by 

 replanting and restoration. The paper was listened to with very 

 great interest, and the thanks of the Congress unanimously voted 

 to M. Melard. 



On the 5 th June, the first work done was to subdivide the 

 Congress into three sections, viz. : (I) Forest Economy; (2) 

 Influence of Forests from the point of view of the maintenance of 

 the soil, the water supply, and of meteorological phenomena ; and 

 (3) Application of Natural Sciences to Sylviculture ; and this 

 having been done, the sections separated to carry on their 

 deliberations, which continued on the 5th, 6th, and 7th. 



In the First Section, tke^?'^ subject was the question of the 

 treatment of silver fir forests, and the advisability of converting 

 into forests of silver fir all coppice lands of poor growth in 

 mountain regions. The chief speakers were MM. Runacher, 

 Huffel, and Mer. No very definite conclusion was arrived at, 

 it being agreed that the best method of treatment for silver fir 

 forests was still in doubt. Then came the important question 

 of thinnings, discussed, after the reading of an able paper by 

 M. Broillard, by M. Boppe and M. Mer especially. It was 

 generally agreed that the principle to be followed in thinnings 

 was that of working by careful regard to canopy ; tbat the 

 canopy should be lightly opened but not interrupted, and that 

 the undergrowth should be carefully respected. The third 

 question was that of the utility of cultivating the soil in 

 regeneration fellirjgs, and it was generally agreed that such 

 cidtivation, accompanied by artificial seed sowing, was most 

 useful. The fourth question, the treatment of coppice under 

 standards, so as to increase the production of timber material, gave 

 rise to considerable discussion, and it was agreed that in those 

 cases where good oak saplings were not to be found in sufficient 



