72 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



President Loubet were respectively toasted by the Mayor and 

 Mr Fothringham. A visit was next paid to the magnificent 

 (now restored) mediaeval chateau of Pierrefonds, after which the 

 remainder of the forest was explored. A feature of Compibgne 

 is its fine old oaks, some of the largest trees of the kind in France 

 being found here; and the whole forest has more of the aspect 

 of the English park about it than was seen anywhere else in the 

 course of the tour. 



The forestry part of the Excursion was brought to a close by 

 a visit, on Wednesday, 3rd August, to the fine oak and beech 

 forests at Belleme, in South Normandy. The start from Paris 

 was early, and the return late in the evening, so that the day 

 proved a long and, being hot, rather fatiguing one ; but this was 

 amply compensated for by the fine forestry which was seen, and 

 by the somewhat different kind of country which the party had 

 the opportunity of seeing in this part of France, as compared with 

 what was seen in the east. Here fields more square-shaped, with 

 hedges, more pasture and less cultivation of the land in long 

 strips were observable, and, on the whole, the face of the 

 country presented more of the appearance with which one is 

 familiar at home than was the case in the tracts visited in 

 the earlier part of the Excursion. At Belleme the party was 

 conducted over the forests by M. Loyer, Conservateur des Eaux 

 et Forets, AleuQon, and by M. le Levreur, Inspecteur des Eaux et 

 Forets, Montagne, and here the already considerable number of 

 nationalities represented in the party was still further augmented 

 by the addition of two Russian students of forestry who had 

 come to France to study. 



At the close of the day's outing, the party dined at the hotel 

 at Belleme, and, dinner over, a number of toasts were proposed, 

 that of "British Forestry Education" being given by Professor 

 Schwappach. Mr Robert Forbes gave the health of "The 

 President," and, in doing so, took occasion to refer to the great 

 service which Mr Fothringham had rendered to the party in 

 interpreting, in such a lucid way, the details of management 

 and other particulars regarding the forests which the French 

 forest officers had so freely communicated ; and it may be 

 mentioned here that a meed of praise is also due to Professor 

 Fisher for a like service which he rendered in the earlier part 

 of the Excursion, and for his kind assistance otherwise. To the 

 French forest officers of all grades the Excursionists are also 



