24 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETV. 



doubt that the best plan for forestry was purchase, that was 

 to say that the land should belong to the person planting it. 



Mr Dundas White — " Would you exclude feuing?" 



Sir John Stirling-Maxwell — "No, I would not. The French 

 and Germans invariably purchase, but I would not rule out 

 other methods. But I think the methods of acquiring land 

 cannot be too simple. The present methods by which land 

 has been obtained are very cumbrous." He suggested that 

 there should be a very simple form of inquiry by a body in 

 which every one had perfect confidence. 



Mr Duncan Millar asked whether the .Society had ever 

 discussed the methods with the Development Commissioners. 



Sir Andrew Agnew said that on more than one occasion 

 they had discussed the matter informally with the Development 

 Commissioners, but they had not come to any decision. Their 

 views, however, were well known to the Commissioners. 



Mr J. M. Henderson said that the war had opened the eyes of 

 the country to the position of timber. He was sure that they 

 could get a great number of men put on the land in connection 

 with forestry, and if they followed auxiliary occupations they 

 would get a decent living. He complained of the past action 

 of the Development Commissioners in declining to purchase 

 land for afforestation. A country like this, he maintained, 

 ought to have more forests even if they cost much money. 

 He believed that, properly managed, it would be a paying 

 proposition. 



Mr Currie said with regard to the question of how the land 

 was to be acquired by the Government, they could not expect 

 the House of Commons to go far forward in this scheme unless 

 they could have something definite on that point. 



Mr Cowan said he would like to be satisfied that the creation 

 of a new Department of Forestry was going to make it easier to 

 re-afforest Scotland. 



Sir Andrew Agnew replied that under the present system 

 afforestation was neglected in Scotland, and they thought 

 that in these circumstances there should be a Department 

 whose sole business it was to attend to afforestation. 



Mr MacCallum Scott asked if the Society was aware of 

 the valuable work being developed by the Middle Ward of 

 Lanark for training disabled soldiers in connection with the 

 afforestation operations at Hairmyres and Camps, and was 



