REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY. 129 



competent men to manage their forests for tliem 1" " Occasionally 

 they do find difficulty, especially large proprietors." — " Is there a 

 difficulty in finding the skilled labour which is necessary to pro- 

 perly attend to forests?" "Not a great deal." — "You yourself 

 would not find difliculty in finding skilled labour?" "I have 

 always more applicants than I can find employment for." — " Men 

 who do their work well ?" " Yes ; who are anxious to get into the 

 employment for the sake of what they see, and of the prospect of 

 getting appointments afterwards." — " Where do the Scottish pro- 

 prietors now go to find foresters or men to manage their forests 1 " 

 " They frequently apply to myself, and frequently they apply to 

 others, such, as Mr M'Corquodale, and to nurserymen." — " Do you 

 think that Scottish proprietors generally would be favourable to the 

 establishment of a school of forestry in Scotland?" "I think 

 so." — " Do you think it is a matter that they would care very much 

 about, or that they would merely accept it 1" "I think that they 

 are taking more interest now than what they used to do in the 

 plantations." 



" You told us that the late Lord Seafield invested a large sum of 

 money in planting?" "Yes."— "Y^ou said £80,000 or £90,000. 

 Does he expect to get a tolerably good return from that from a 

 commercial point of view ? " " Yes, commercially ; but then there 

 are other reasons to be taken into consideration. As I say, there 

 are parts of it planted for ornamental and other purposes. Of 

 course, as to what is planted for ornament and other purposes, you 

 do not look to that for interest on your money. You look at 

 it from a diff"erent point of view ; the beauty of the place, or some- 

 thing of that kind. But the large plantations will pay interest on 

 the outlay, and rent for the land as well." — " Do you think there 

 is an obligation on Scottish proprietors, or any proprietors, to plant 

 a certain proportion of waste lands every year ? " "I think so." — 

 "Even if it does not pay?" " It will pay ultimately, I have no 

 doubt." — " Do you think that Lord Seafield would have been 

 as well off if he had not planted trees, but left his moors for 

 grouse ? " ''I think not." 



" We have heard from several witnesses that there is a great deal 

 of waste land in Scotland and elsewhere which might be planted 

 with advantage ; of course every waste land will not carry trees 

 profitably ; it is no use planting in soil if it is not adapted for 

 growing trees?" "No, it is no use planting in soil that will not 

 grow trees, but there is very little soil but what will grow trees." — ■ 



VOL. XIL, PART I. I 



