THE society's JUBILEE DINNER. 43 



and politicians. It might be in the recollection of some that 

 when they had a united excursion at Lowther Castle some 

 sixteen or seventeen years ago, he mentioned at the dinner in 

 Penrith that the time would come, and that very early, when the 

 Government would have to take some interest in arboriculture, 

 and that something would have to be done to encourage the 

 growth of trees in our country, especially in England. He 

 thought the Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society ought to be 

 very cautious indeed before they established experimental forests 

 in Scotland. It would never do to cover up with trees hills 

 that were so historical as Arthur Seat or Ben Lomond. Then it 

 would never do to spoil their deer forests. There were thousands 

 of acres just along the Borders which could be much more 

 advantageously used for forestry purposes. 



Mr W, H. Massie, in giving the toast of " Our Guests," after 

 expressing the indebtedness of the Society to the honoured and 

 distinguished guests for their presence there that night, said they 

 had heard a good deal from the previous speakers about the past 

 history of the Society. Might he be allowed to add a few words 

 on the subject ? He held in his hand the first written record of 

 the first meeting of their Society, and as it was very short, he 

 should like to read it, as he thought it would be of interest 

 on that occasion. It was dated 17th February 1854, and was 

 in the handwriting of the first Secretary of the Society, James 

 Alexander, of the firm of Dicksons & Co. It was as follows : — 



"Edinburgh, 17M February 1854.1 

 " At a meeting of Foresters held here this day on the occasion 

 of the presentation of a testimonial to Mr Brown, late of 

 Arniston, present Mr M'Corquodale, Mr Balden, Mr Cowan, 

 Mr M'Donald, Mr Forbes, Mr Thomson from Chopwell, and 

 others — it was suggested by Mr Thomson that as Agriculture 

 and Horticulture had much improved by associations for 

 holding discussions on their respective branches, it would be 

 highly beneficial that something of a similar kind should be 

 established in connection with Forestry. It was unanimously 

 resolved that said association should be carried into effect, and 



' The sheet of note-paper on which this document is written bears the 

 lithographed heading, "Regent Hotel, 14 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh," pre- 

 sumably the hotel in which the presentation to Mr Brown and the foundation 

 of the Society took place ; but the first part of the heading has been struck out, 

 apparently when the minute was written. 



