1 I 8 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



X. Report on the Excursion to France, from 22,rd July to 

 6th August 1904.^ By George U. Macdonald, Forester, 

 Raith, Fifeshire. 



After a lapse of only two years, over seventy members of the 

 Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society again held their Annual 

 Excursion in a foreign land. 



The country chosen this year was France, and on all hands 

 it has been admitted that this year's Excursion has been, from 

 a forester's point of view, most successful and instructive. 



Leaving Edinburgh on the afternoon of the 23rd July, London 

 was reached a few minutes before midnight, when members were 

 afterwards driven in omnibuses to the Manchester Hotel, in 

 Aldersgate Street. 



On Sunday, the 24th, the Excursionists were early astir in order 

 to make the most of the time at their disposal in viewing the 

 sights of London, and in paying a visit to Kew Gardens, under 

 the leadership of Mr Munro Ferguson, before leaving at 9 p.m. 

 for Dover and Calais. 



Leaving Calais at 12.58 on the morning of the 25th, and 

 travelling by way of Amiens, Reims, and Chalons-sur-Mame, 

 Nancy, which was to be the headquarters of the Excursionists 

 for the following three days, was reached at 11 a.m. Between 

 Calais and Chalons the country is very flat, and is almost wholly 

 given up to agriculture. The crops, which were then being 

 reaped, included oats, barley, wheat, and rye, all of which 

 appeared to bulk well in the stock, and to be of exceptionally 

 fine colour. Between Chalons and Nancy, the country generally 

 becomes more diversified, the land is more undulating, and the 

 low hills, with their vine-clad slopes, are a pleasing contrast to 

 the former wide and rather monotonous tract of flat corn-fields. 



Throughout this region there are no forests of any large 

 extent. In the flat and agricultural district, shelter-belts, com- 

 posed chiefly of pine, have been planted in long strips in face 

 of the prevailing winds, in order to break their force, and to 

 provide shelter for grazing-stock. 



^ Numerous corrections on points of detail have been made throughout the 

 Report, on information kindly given by Professor Fisher, who is well 

 acquainted with many of the forests visited. — Hon. Ed. 



