THE ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1854-I904. 7 



There seems to be an impression in some quarters that prior 

 to the foundation of the Scottish Arboricultural Society a local 

 Arboricultural Society was in existence at Brechin, in Forfarshire; 

 but while there is ample evidence of its existence,^ there is nothing 

 to show that the Brechin Society was antecedent to the Scottish 

 Society. On the contrary, the evidence is all the other way. 

 From a paper on " Local Arboricultural Societies " by Mr Robert 

 Philip, Forester, Aldbar, Brechin, read at the Annual General 

 Meeting of the Scottish Arboricultural Society on 14th November 

 1855, and subsequently published in the Transactions^ it seems 

 quite clear that the Brechin Society had not then been formed, 

 for Mr Philip states that, " As we have not met as a Society, I 

 cannot state in this paper what our constitution will be, but I 

 consider that the subscription should be as low as possible, in 

 order to embrace all who may feel inclined to be members of 

 the local, and not preclude any from remaining or becoming 

 members of the Scottish Arboricultural Society." Mr Philip, 

 it is true, does not mention the local Society by name, but 

 there can be no doubt that it is the Brechin Society to which 

 he refers. The first reference to this Brechin Society in the 

 records of the Scottish Society occurs in the Minutes of the 

 Annual General Meeting held on 12th November 1856, where 

 it is stated that, " On a statement by Mr Philip, it was agreed 

 to publish in the Transactions such Essays of the Brechin 

 Arboricultural Society as might be approved of, and to furnish 

 the Society with copies of the Transactions for their members 

 at half-price ; "' and in the first volume of the Transactions three 

 essays appear which had been awarded prizes by the Brechin 

 Society in 1856 and 1857.2 Mr Philip was elected a Member 

 of the Scottish Society at the meeting at which he read his paper 

 on local Societies, and in the list of Members as it stood at 

 i2th November 1856 he is designated "Secretary to the Brechin 

 Arboricultural Society." It is quite evident, therefore, that the 

 Brechin Society came into existence in the interval between 

 14th November 1855 and 12th November 1856, but as to the 

 actual date of its formation no record seems to be obtainable. 

 How long the Society continued to exist is not known, but it 

 seems to have been still in existence in 1858, for in the Minutes 



^ A copy of the Laws will be found at page 237. 



2 Vol. I. p. 38. 



^ Vol. I. pp. 96, 207, and 210. 



