5 
think that he should have been associated with the Society when 
sO many new ideas were coming in amongst them as to the 
management of their forests. He believed that the Excursion 
to Germany, and the manner in which their transactions had 
been carried through, had made their mark upon the affairs of 
the Society. 
He thought they would find that the Society was yet only in 
its infancy, and that it would rise to the great opportunity that 
still lay before it. All Scotsmen liked to see things done in a 
right way. If British agriculture was the first in the world, 
he would be a bold man who would say that Scottish forestry 
was first also. What first awoke his interest in the whole subject 
of forestry, was this, that he felt that they were so much farther 
ahead in the science of agriculture than they were in forestry, 
and that there was such a great field for usefulness in that 
direction. They had, for example, the whole great Highland 
area. Most of it was fit for growing timber, and it was really 
fit for no other productive occupation. The solution of the land 
and the labour troubles there, was, he believed, within the scope 
of the pursuit of their calling ; and it was to forestry they had to 
look if there was to be any satisfactory ending to the economic 
troubles in the northern part of Scotland. That was the only 
way in which they could put a population on the land. They 
would never have any large population on the land by creating 
small holdings or large holdings, or by any agricultural occupa- 
tion of the greater part of the Highlands. But there was hardly 
any limit to the population they could bring up on the Highland 
area if they had a properly developed system of forestry, and a 
properly developed system of manufactures along with it. 
He had the privilege of nominating his successor, and it was 
with very great pleasure that he submitted the name of Colonel 
Battey., It would not be easy to find any one more worthy to 
fill this high office. His work would lie very much in the 
direction of establishing some experimental area, which might 
by degrees develop into a forest school. He had mentioned the 
Highlands in order to draw attention to what he thought was 
the great need for some experimental area and regular forest 
school in Scotland. They could begin with the area, and go on 
to the forest schoo], for without training their men thoroughly 
they would not be in a position to go to any Government to ask 
for any great national scheme of forestry. They had men who 
