TRANSACTIONS 



OF THE 



ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



I. The Future of Forestry.^ 



By Sir Andrew Agnkw, Bart. 



I think we are justified in taking a more cheerful view of the 

 prospects of forestry to-day than we have been able to do for 

 a long time. Several things have happened since we last met 

 here a few months ago, all of which have contributed to this 

 more cheerful view. 



In the first place, we have had the announcement that the 

 Government are appointing a special Committee to deal with the 

 subject of afforestation. We had this intimation direct from the 

 Secretary for Scotland, who expressed the hope that the 

 Committee would produce a bold scheme, and the belief that 

 the Government would tackle it without delay. It is true that 

 we have had committees before, and the result has not been 

 such as to fill us with great enthusiasm. But circumstances 

 have changed : and I think we may expect that, under the 

 changed circumstances, the report of a committee of practical 

 men is no longer likely to be ignored. Then there is the 

 meeting that took place at the House of Commons a few days 

 ago, between a deputation from our Society and the Scottish 

 Members of Parliament. We laid before them our views 

 regarding afforestation in general, but especially with regard to 

 a separate Department for forestry, and they undertook to have 

 the question discussed in Parliament before the close of the 

 present session. Mr Galloway has drawn up a report of the 

 proceedings at that meeting which will come before you 

 presently; so I will say no more about it except this — that 

 whereas we formerly had scattered sympathisers among the 

 Scottish members, we now have a strong and united body who 



^ Presidential address delivered at the General Meeting of the Society, held 

 on I2th July 1916. 



VOL. XXXI. PART I. A 



