~“I 
CHAIRMAN’s ADDRESS. 
The President then delivered the Annual Address,! in which he 
reviewed the work done by the Society during the past year, 
particularly in regard to the Endowment of the Chair of Forestry 
in the University of Edinburgh. He also spoke at some length 
upon the development of the scheme he promulgated at the 
Annual Meeting last year, as to the establishment of a Course 
of Instruction, whereby practical foresters attending the classes 
would find regular employment during the curriculum, either in 
the Royal Botanic Garden, or, through the courtesy of the 
owners, in the nurseries in or about Edinburgh. He had great 
pleasure in stating that the scheme was now an assured fact, and 
looked forward with hopefulness to the commencement of its work 
at the beginning of the Winter Session. 
Mr Jonun MerTHVEN said,—I am sure you will all agree with me 
in according to Professor Bayley Balfour a hearty vote of thanks for 
his interesting address. I can, I think, assure him of the hearty 
co-operation of my brethren in the nursery trade in carrying out 
the admirable scheme which he has explained to us this evening. 
The scheme is in my opinion well adapted to enable young 
foresters to attain a knowledge of the scientific side of their 
profession ; and, unless they were so equipped, they could hardly be 
said to be well qualified for the responsible positions which many of 
them would be called upon to fill in connection with the estates of 
this country. At the present moment the trained young forester 
was a very scarce article. Many of you must have noticed, during 
the past two or three years, the number of advertisements which 
had appeared for young foresters. One reason for that was the 
depopulation of the rural districts. Instead of Edinburgh getting 
men from the country, we have to send a considerable number of 
men from Edinburgh to the country—men who really had little 
or no training in wielding the axe and the hedge-bill. I do not 
see why young gardeners should not be taught something of 
forestry, and young foresters something of gardening. They are 
closely related professions; and to me it is one of the recom- 
mendations of Professor Balfour’s scheme, that the gardener and 
the forester will be trained and taught together. 
Mr Dunn, in seconding the vote of thanks, said,—That to 
Professor Bayley Balfour is due the credit of being the first to 
1 A verbatim report of the Address appears in the Transactions, 
