ItEPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY. 105 



the Royal Engineering College, Cooper's Hill, Staines, Surrey ; and 

 Sir Richard Temple, Bart., M.P., The Nash, Worcestershire. 



The evidence given by these twenty-two witnesses is generally of 

 an interesting nature, and, along with the proceedings of the Com- 

 mittee, fills a bulky Blue Book of about 160 pages. The details 

 are far too voluminous to be given here, but those interested in the 

 subject can purchase the Blue Book — " Report from the Select Com- 

 mittee on Forestry, with Minutes of Evidence, 1887," — for Is. 9d., 

 through any bookseller. 



The interests of various educational institutions in England were 

 warmly advocated by their representatives, as suitable centres for 

 teaching Forestry ; the Scottish representatives, and all the other 

 witnesses who touched upon the subject, were unanimous that 

 Edinburgh was the best centre in Scotland ; and the Irish repre- 

 sentatives, and others examined thereon, agreed generally that Dublin 

 was the proper centre for Ireland. Among a mass of irrelevant 

 matter, it is often difiicult to sift the facts bearing directly on 

 the subject before the Committee, but the general opinion is clear 

 enough in favour of a better system of education and training for 

 Foresters, and that existing institutions should be utilised for the 

 purpose. The weight of the evidence in favour of the best centre 

 for a School of Forestry is about equally divided between Edin- 

 burgh and Cooper's Hill. The first has the most complete educational 

 equipment and greater economy to recommend it ; the second, the 

 important fact that it has already a small School of Forestry 

 attached to it, for tlie training of students for the Forest Service in 

 India, but necessarily conducted on a rather costly scale for home 

 forestry requirements. Several other schemes were i^ropounded, 

 but no approach to unanimity was expressed regarding them. 



The following extracts bear more directly on Scottish Forestry, 

 and the general question of a School of Forestry, and therefore may 

 be deemed of greatest interest to the members of the Royal Scottish 

 Arboricultural Society. 



In the course of his examination, on the 28th June, Mr John 

 M'Gregor, Lady well, Dunkeld, Forester to the Duke of Athole, 

 gave the following evidence : — 



"Since 1860 I believe you have had the entire charge of the 

 Duke of Athole 's woods 1 " " Yes." — " Where are the woods situ- 

 ated 1 " " All in Perthshire."—" What is the acreage of wood- 

 land which you have under your charged' "About 20,000 

 acres." — " What description of trees do the woods principally con- 



