206 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
This is undeniably true, the wood-managers and foresters having, 
as in duty bound, loyally and conscientiously carried out the policy 
of their employers. 
VIEWS HELD HERE ON CONTINENTAL FORESTRY. 
In countries, such as France and Germany, where forests owned 
by the State and managed on economic principles cover vast areas, 
the sylvicultural systems pursued are based on the observation of 
facts, recorded throughout a long period of time by competent men 
of science specially trained to the work in schools maintained by the 
State for the purpose, In those countries correct views on systematic 
forestry are much more commonly held than they are here. With 
us the subject is but little understood, and comparatively few 
people, even amongst those whose interests are the most affected, 
realise the degree in which forestry is truly a science. The recent 
publication in our language of scientific works on sylviculture has 
drawn considerable attention to the question of wood-management ; 
and a body of members of the Royal Scottish Arboricultural 
Society made, in 1895, a most instructive tour in the forests of 
Northern Germany; but it cannot be expected that the mere study 
of books, with rapidly made visits of this kind, can, useful as they 
are, alone lead to a full comprehension of Continental methods, and 
to an adequate appreciation of the conditions under which one or 
other of them may be employed in a particular locality. Hence 
these methods and their application are sometimes imperfectly 
understood, and any suggestion that our woods might be treated 
under them meets with objections, some of which at least would not 
be raised if a fuller knowledge of Continental methods prevailed. 
But there is no doubt that a conviction is rapidly gaining ground 
that all has not been quite right in the past ; and a strong desire is 
now very generally evinced that practical proof should be given of 
the extent to which methods of treatment successfully employed in 
other countries are really applicable to our forests. 
ReEFoRM Is NECESSARY. 
All doubts as to the sylvicultural methods most suited to the 
woods of our country should long ago have been set at rest by 
practical demonstration of what can here be done in the way of 
profitably growing high-class timber under various conditions. 
Though a limited quantity of timber of first-class dimensions and 
