ON ESTABLISHING AN EXPERIMENTAL FOREST ARFA. 179 
XITI. On Establishing an Experimental Forest Area in Scotland, 
for Instruction in the Theory and Practice of Scientific 
Forestry. By D. F. Macxkenziz, Factor, Mortonhall, 
Midlothian (‘* Nil Desperandum ”). 
It is now generally admitted that the extension of our forest 
areas is of sufficient importance to warrant the establishment of 
“experimental areas for the exhibition of, and for instruction— 
theoretical and practical—in scientific forestry.” 
In a country like Scotland, with a large area of land producing 
less than 3s. per acre per annum, but highly suitable for the pro- 
duction of valuable timber under proper management, and with a 
very large and annually increasing consumption of timber, the 
available supplies of which from abroad are gradually diminish- 
ing, it is of the utmost importance that such an institution should 
be established without delay. 
Our consumption of timber indicates that our necessities have 
increased by leaps and bounds, due, no doubt, to the constant in- 
crease of population and wealth. This necessitates a corresponding 
increase in our timber imports, as there is no corresponding increase 
in the extent of timbered land in the country. The reasons for this 
are, to a great extent, the prevalent idea that land under timber 
does not pay, and the fact that fairly large returns are got for the 
land for sporting purposes, the owners forgetting, or perhaps not 
knowing, that timber and certain kinds of game are compatible. 
It is quite evident that the existing state of matters is lost 
sight of by the Government, or is not sufliciently appreciated by 
it. The large expenditure of capital required and sent out of the 
country at present for the purchase of timber, amounting, as it 
does, to over sixteen millions annually, is surely worth the 
expenditure of one-sixteenth of one year’s outlay, so as to enable 
us to help ourselves. 
As a nation, we have been fortunate in maintaining our com- 
mercial prominence; but it is the view of some who may be trusted 
to see a little way into the future of our supply of timber, that it 
is time for us to take a new departure, so as to be prepared for 
any altered conditions in our timber supplies from abroad which 
may and are likely to arise. In order that we may be so far pre- 
pared for such altered conditions, the question we have now to 
consider is, What steps are necessary to be taken? Clearly, in 
view of a great extension of our forest areas in the near future, 
