134 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



" Have you practically trained young men on Lord Mansfield's 

 estate in the same manner that Mr Thomson has done at Lord Sea- 

 field's ? " " Yes ; I always kept a certain number of young 

 men." — " Were they merely labourers, or were they apprenticed to 

 you in anyway?" ** We have very few labourers. They are all 

 young men, assistant foresters." — " Do they come to you for a 

 certain time 1 " *' They come for a certain time ; some of them 

 serve a regular apprenticeship. I have some from England just 

 now." — " Have they had previous experience in wood management 

 before they come to you ?" " Many of them come as journeymen ; 

 but I train a number of young men from the commencement. 

 Some of them stay three, four, five, and six years." — " Do you con- 

 sider when they leave you that their practical knowledge is sufficient 

 to enable them to manage woods skilfully without any theoretical 

 instruction 1" "I consider that many of those who remain for four 

 or five years are very competent when they leave me." 



" Do you think a school of forestry is really required in Scot- 

 land 1 " " Well, I do not think a school of forestry would be very 

 well supported." — " Do you think, independently of the measure of 

 support it might receive, it is really required?" "Young men 

 training for the Indian forests might take advantage of it, I have 

 no doubt ; but the truth is that foresters in Great Britain are not 

 very highly paid, and they cannot afford to acquire very expensive 

 education." — " Do you think it would be sufficient for present pur- 

 poses that young men should receive a practical instruction in 

 such woods as those of Lord Seafield's, Lord Mansfield's, and 

 others?" "I do." — "And then go to Edinburgh and complete 

 their theoretical education in the manner which has been sug- 

 gested ? " "I think they could be suflSciently trained as practical 

 foresters without a forestry school." — " Do you think that through 

 the agency of the University of Edinburgh and the Highland and 

 Agricultural Society's examination, there would be sufficient pro- 

 vision made for the necessary theoretical instruction ? " "I do not 

 think there would." — "You think that thei'e would be something 

 more required than the advantages which the University of Edin- 

 burgh would afford if there was a Chair of Forestry ?" "If there 

 was a Chair of Forestry." — "Without it you think not?" "I 

 think a chair combined with the Agricultural Chair might be quite 

 ample." — "There is a Chair of Agriculture?" "I think there 

 is." — " To that you would attach a Chair of Forestry, that is to say, 



