FORESTRY AT HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S SHOW. 475 



XL. Forestry Section of the Highland and Agricultural Society's 

 Show at Inverness, July 1901. By D. F. Mackenzie, 

 F.S.I., Mortonhall, Midlothian. 



A new and interesting addition to the Society's shows, and 

 one which may become one of its permanent features, was the 

 Forestry Exhibition, which was organised by the Royal Scottish 

 Arboricultural Society. Arboriculture is so closely allied to 

 agriculture, that it is hoped the exhibition will be an annual 

 one in connection with the Highland Society's gatherings. 

 Certainly, the promoters were able to gather together, in a very 

 short time, a fairly representative collection of objects relating 

 to forestry in the north of Scotland. It is intended that the 

 effort should be principally a local one, so that each year fresh 

 exhibits, peculiar to the district, may be brought forward. 



The exhibition originated in the failure of the Arboricultural 

 Society to secure adequate space in the Glasgow Exhibition 

 for a display of objects connected with forestry; and the 

 suggestion to organise it came from the Highland Society 

 through Mr Prentice, Factor at Raith. Sir Robert Menzies, 

 Convener of the Forestry Committee of the Highland Society, 

 was the moving spirit in connection with the arrangements ; 

 and the whole of the exhibits were effectively laid out within 

 the showyard, under the supervision of Mr James Gossip, of 

 Howden & Co., Nurserymen, Inverness, who kindly became 

 responsible for the decoration with plants in tubs, etc., both 

 outside and at the entrance to the exhibition. In their pre- 

 liminary circular, the Joint-Committees of the two Societies in 

 charge of the matter, declared their object to be to secure the best 

 possible exhibition, within a limited space, of objects relating to 

 forestry in all its branches ; and a ready response was made by pro- 

 pi'ietors and others in the north — the space originally allotted being 

 found quite insufficient to meet all the applications received. 



The exhibits, which were accommodated in twelve stands 

 under cover and nine stands outside, consisted chiefly of home- 

 grown timber, suited for practically all purposes for which timber 

 is used. There were over twenty entries, embracing over three 

 hundred items. Specimens of almost everything of interest in 

 forestry were shown, from the tiny plant to the finished article 

 of furniture. They included the produce of exotic, as well as of 

 indigenous trees. It may not be out of place to explain a few 



