56 TRANSACTION'S OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARKORICUI.TURAL SOCIETY. 



was doubtful whether it was necessary, after all, to institute 

 degrees in forestry in the four Scottish universities. They had 

 proceeded to institute a Doctorate of Science in agriculture. 

 This covered the possibility of higher research work in forestry. 

 Indeed, agriculture in the wide sense covered forestry. For 

 degree purposes it did cover forestry. That being the case, the 

 graduate in agriculture was perfectly at liberty, in proceeding to 

 the Doctorate of Science, to take up a purely forestry thesis. 

 He was able to proceed to the Doctorate of Agriculture by 

 forestry. What further degree could they wish than that? It 

 was the only degree that the universities were prepared to give. 

 They had spoken of the effect of the agricultural colleges in this 

 matter. They knew the position in which these colleges were 

 placed. In St Andrews, at the present moment, they did not 

 form the centre of what ought to be the four agricultural colleges 

 of Scotland. He had already remarked that the agricultural 

 colleges were impotent unless associated with the universities in 

 academic work. If these agricultural colleges were to do better 

 work, they must become closer and closer associated with the 

 universities, and finally absorbed in them. He would propose 

 that when the Society took up anything in connection with this 

 movement, it should go straight to the University Courts of the 

 four universities of Scotland, and confer with them before doing 

 anything from the outside. 



Mr A, T. Gillanders, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, said 

 that a great deal of what had been said was inapplicable to this 

 country. Certainly, he did not agree with the last speaker, 

 because he thought he was beginning at the wrong end to 

 educate the foresters. He had no sympathy with educating 

 foresters at the university. He would welcome every suggestion 

 that was made to educate the foresters to the highest degree. 

 Educate them by all means to the limit of their individual 

 capacity, but let that education act simultaneously with a 

 practical training. With regard to a demonstration forest, what 

 was applicable to the varied conditions of this country, or 

 almost to one parish or county, was not applicable to another. 

 So far as a demonstration area was concerned, they would 

 have to follow the old methods. He would say that the good 

 old-fashioned system of getting a well-educated boy of good 

 physique, and putting him to work on an estate, preferably 

 a small estate, and giving him every opportunity of pursuing 



