1 12 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTUfiAL SOCIETY. 



near Edinburgh sufficiently large wliere a forest could be established, 

 but there is no doubt the Botanic Garden would be a very useful 

 l»lace." 



" In your examination for the Highland and Agricultural Society 

 you deal with entomology]" " Oidy with insects which are injurious 

 to trees." — " Cannot something be done by maintaining those ex- 

 aminations, and making them more widely known 1 " " Yes, I 

 think so." — " Were those examinations advertised much?" "Not 

 very much. They were advertised in the newspapers." — " What 

 fees have to be paid for these examinations'? " "Nothing." — " No 

 fee at alH " "No." — "The certificate then is practically a free 

 gift?" " It is a free gift." — "There is no expense to the candidate?" 

 " None whatever. The only expense is his coming to Edinburgh 

 to be examined. The certificate is signed by the president of the 

 Society, the secretary, and the examiners." — "Are the questions 

 ever published afterwards?" " They are published in the journal of 

 the Society." — " Are the proprietors, who you say do not appear to 

 appreciate these certificates as they ought to, aware of the amount of 

 information that is necessary to acquire a certificate ? " "I hardly 

 think so." — " You think a little improvement might be made in 

 that way?" "Yes, very much." — "Is it your opinion that more 

 can be d(me in that general way than by the establishment of a 

 definite school specially for the purpose of forestry ? " " Yes, but 

 there is no doubt that a definite school would be a very great step 

 towards the better management of woods, and the publication of a 

 text-book, such as they have with regard to Continental forests. 

 We have no text-book ; the only book worth reading at the present 

 time, is ' Arboriculture,' by the late Mr Grigor, a nurseryman at 

 Forres." 



"With regard^to what you say about the appointment of foresters, 

 I suppose you mean that the proprietors, in fact, are ignorant about 

 trees, and not particular with regard to whom they appoint ? " "A 

 good many of them." — " What is your opinion as to what is neces- 

 sary in the way of a school, or in the way of improving the knowledge 

 of timber in Scotland ?" "I do not see any better way than the 

 establishing of a school. For instance, no gentleman would take a 

 gardener unless he were a thorough gardener, accustomed and well 

 able to grow vegetables and fruits ; he grows only annual crops ; 

 and when the proprietor sees it necessary to have a proper gardener 

 whose mistakes can be seen at the end of one year, I think it is far 

 more necessary that he should have a thoroughly qualified forester 



