142 TRANSACTIONS 01<' KOYAL SCOTTISH ARnORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



part first of all, and then got any scientific addition to it later in 

 life when he is able to take it in better. I think as far as forestry 

 schools go, Avhat I have said explains my view." 



" What are bursaries. Are they what we call exhibition scholar- 

 ships 1 " " Yes ; they are established by money being left for the 

 purpose." — " Are they obtained by competitive entry ?" " A great 

 many are by competitive entry. These I speak of are in private 

 patronage." — " You are aware that the Highland and Agricultural 

 Society have taken up the subject of forestry?" "Yes. I have 

 been taking a leading part for many years in it." — " And a certain 

 amount of value is attached to those who have gained their certific- 

 ates ?" "Yes. But if there is anything to be done in the way of 

 forestry education, I think it would have to be by establishing 

 bursaries or some mode of that kind." — "Young men might, after 

 working a certain time upon a large estate, if they obtained any of 

 these bursaries, supplement their instructions ? " " Yes, quite so, 

 by a session or two. I am not speaking at random on this ques- 

 tion, because I have known several cases of farmers' sons who, 

 before beginning regular work, have gone to the University of 

 Edinburgh for one or two winters, simply to get scientific teaching 

 on the top of what they had acquired with their fathers on the 

 farm, and in one instance I knew the son of a forester who did the 

 same." — " But then there must be somebody capable of giving the 

 scientific instruction, a professor of forestry, attached to the univer- 

 sity 1 " " Yes. There are many of the Chairs in the Edinburgh 

 University which could be utilized for any such purpose." — " The 

 instruction in forestry might be combined with agriculture ? " " To 

 begin with, there is a Chair of Agriculture and Rural Economy. 

 Rural economy ought certainly to include forestry. The Professor 

 is a young man newly ajipointed, and I should say he ought to be 

 perfectly able to take in hand both forestry and agriculture. Then 

 at the same time there is geology, botany, natural history, and 

 chemistry. I think the great advantage to young men of getting 

 a course or two is, that although they may not go very far into the 

 science, it teaches them how to observe. The want of accurate 

 observation is a great drawback to foresters and farmers. They 

 have never been taught to use their eyes in matters of minute 

 detail, especially as to the causes of diseases of wood and the 

 diseases of plants. It is very difficult to get an accurate account 

 of what the man really sees unless he has gone through a certain 

 amount of trainiu" to fit him for accurate observation." — " Would 



