370 TRWSAf'TrOXS OF ROVAI, RfOTTlSir AKnOniriTLTtTRAI. sofinv. 



of Clio]»\v('ll Forest, (Vniuty Duiliuin, iDoveil, ami 1 secondcil, Lliat 

 siu Aiboricultuml Society be established. A couiniittee was 

 tliereu])Oii apiMsiuted to carry out the resolution of the meeting. 

 This was the origin of our Society, now known as the Eoyal 

 Scotti.sh Arboricultural Society. 



Mr Thomson took a deep interest in the Society as long as he 

 lived, and other members strove hard to foster it at first, yet it 

 j)roved very uphill work for some years to keep the Society 

 in existence. However, through time, its members increased in 

 numbers, its utility was more and more recognised, and now the 

 Society is strong and flourishing. 



Still there is great room for improvement as regards the 

 supi)ort that might be given in many quarters. I often regret to 

 see so many of our able practical members withholding their 

 support, and that many who are well qualified for the work fail 

 to contribute ai-ticles to the Transactions of the Society. There is 

 an old saying, which I believe is quite true, that " Union is 

 strength ; " and it is only by the whole-hearted devotion of its 

 members that the Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society can 

 become a living force in the land, and a centre around which all 

 may gather to give and receive information. 



All the true friends of forestry as a science, that is daily 

 gaining prominence and i)opularity, cannot but hail with the 

 utmost satisfaction the appointment of Dr Somerville to the 

 '•' Chair of Forestry " in the University of Edinburgh. In the 

 histoiy of British forestry this is the first appointment of the 

 kind that has ever taken ])lace in Scotland, and it augurs well 

 for the future of forestry in our native land. 



I happen to know from friends who have watched Dr Somer- 

 ville's career from his boyhood, that he is well qualiiied by natural 

 talents, as well as by careful jjreparation and training, for the post 

 that he is called to fill. He is also, from all that I have learned, 

 a great enthusiast in the study of Arboriculture, so that we may 

 have every confidence that the interests of our Society will be 

 jiromoted, and the science of foiestry become more and more 

 popidar by his appointment. During the coming University 

 Session, commencing in October, Dr Somerville will deliver a 

 course of one hundred Lectui-es on Forestry, and it is to be hoped 

 that many students will take advantiige of those lectures, and 

 reap great benefit from them. 



When I first went to the Duke of Montrose's estate, Buchanan, 



