40t TRAXSACTIOXS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



even ia those woocllauds which are pUinted primarily with a view 

 to profit. By this is meant that in tlie formation of woodlands 

 there is often a tendency to plant young trees at a greater 

 distance from each other than is suitable for the growth of 

 commercial timber; the after-management being also directed 

 towards the maintenance of considerable isolation for the 

 individual trees. This mode of management is sometimes adopted 

 by the owner from a desire to secure beauty without altogether 

 losing sight of profit. I believe, however, that it is frequently 

 adopted in cases where jesthetic considerations have no place, but 

 merely because the mind of the owner has been influenced to 

 such an extent by the general tendency, so common in this 

 countiy, to keep trees far apart from each other, that he has 

 come to regai-d an open state of the woods as absolutely necessary 

 for tree-gi'owth, and the system as the right one to practice under 

 all circumstances. As, in such cases, the individual trees are 

 unduly favoured to the disadvantage of the plantation as a whole, 

 this mode of treatment must be regarded as Arboricultural rather 

 than as Sylvicultural. 



Britain was enabled by her wealth to take u]) the foremost 

 position in Arboriculture, Avhilo our countrymen's love of travel 

 has enabled her to keep it. It was owing to this that most of 

 the exotic trees of Europe reached this country first, and had 

 frequently been cultivated in considerable numbers on our soil 

 before they were "discovered" by our Continental neighbours. 

 This is well seen in the case of the numerous class of North 

 American conifers, as well as those whose home is in the 

 mountains of Asia and Africa. For instance, the cedar of 

 Lebanon was introduced into this country in 1683, but did not 

 find its way to Central Europe till 1734; while the Cedrus 

 Ailaniica has grown in this country for a century, but was not 

 l^l anted in Germany till the present decade. 



Although in the past we have, as it were, stolen a march 

 upon our friends across the Channel, they are now too much alive 

 to the advantages to be gained to remain far behind us. Govern- 

 ment forestal-experimental stations have, within i-ecent years, 

 been established literally by the score, each under the charge 

 of one or more experienced investigators with able assistants, and 

 the mass of information bearing upon Arboricultural and 

 Sylvicultural subjects contained in their voluminous annual 

 rejjorts is, for variety and extent, truly astonishing. Not the 



