REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY. Ill 



think so. I think the proprietors, as a rule, have stood aloof from 

 the movement. We have an Arboricultural Society in Scotland, 

 but the proprietors have not patronised it so much as they might 

 have done." — " How is that Arboricultural Society maintained 1 " 

 "By subscriptions from members." — "Who are the members 

 chiefly 1 " " There are a good many proprietors members, but they 

 do not attend the meetings." — " Are many foresters members of 

 it 1 " They are mostly foresters." — " Is it important for a forester 

 to have the exclusive management of the sale and the purchase of 

 all matters connected with the woods he manages 1 " " It depends 

 entirely on the size of the woods. If he has a very large charge, I 

 think he ought to be entrusted with the whole ; if it is a very small 

 estate, perhaps that is not necessary." — "A very small estate would 

 hardly find work for a forester?" "No." — "But where there is 

 the work for a forester you think he ought to be entrusted with 

 the sale entirely] " " I think so." 



" You said something just now about the profitable cultivation 

 of woods ; of course that entails the knowledge of markets and of 

 the demand that is likely to take place. Have foresters in Scotland 

 very little opportunity of gathering much knowledge of that kind ? " 

 "The system observed on the Duke of Athole's property is when a 

 lot is to be cut down, to advertise it, and take oS"ers from wood 

 merchants, and that brings out the real value of the timber." — 

 " But in order to carry on forestry profitably and with foresight, it 

 is necessary even to plant with some idea of what is likely to be 

 the future demand T' " Yes ; and to plant what is likely to grow. 

 At the present time I think it would be very injudicious to plant 

 larch extensively." — " Because you think larch has not become a 

 success ] " "I am sure of it. There is hardly a larch plantation 

 in Scotland free from disease, but then what that disease is, is a 

 disputed question. I hold that it is caused by an aphis." — "That 

 of course is a matter for scientific investigation 1 " " Entirely, and 

 for that reason foresters should know a good deal about entomology." 

 — " That of course requires special instruction ] " "Certainly." — 

 " That can only be given at a school or college ? " " Quite so." — 

 " Have you any practical suggestion to make as to how that 

 difficulty can be met 1 " " No. If a school was to be organised 

 and established, a person ought to be appointed who could give in- 

 struction in that branch." — " You said there was a Botanic Garden 

 at Edinburgh ; do you think anything could be usefully attached 

 to that institution for this purpose 1 " " There is not a district 



