OBITUARY. 175 



Trees in Bute " (Vol. ix, p. 73), and various notes. Of an 

 inventive turn of mind, Mr Kay also devised some useful 

 mechanical and other appliances for use in forestry, and of these 

 there may be mentioned the following, which are figured and 

 described in the Transactions : — " Instrument for Measuring 

 Heights of Trees" (Vol. v. p. 170), "Measuring Angles or 

 Boundary Lines of Plantations, etc." (Vol. vi. p. 338), "Trans- 

 planting Machine" (Vol. vii. p. 186), and "New Straining 

 Pillar for Wire Fences" (Vol. x. p. 32). 



As the years of his greatest activity belonged to a period 

 when it may be said that arboriculture, and not silviculture, 

 held sway in this country, most of those who were not 

 intimately acquainted with Mr Kay probably formed the 

 opinion that he belonged to what has been not inaptly 

 designated the "old school" of Scottish foresters. This, 

 however, was not so. It is true that, like most young men 

 of his day, in the early period of his career Mr Kay had no 

 opportunity to acquire a knowledge of scientific silviculture 

 such as the young forester of the present day enjoys ; but, 

 like many more of the foresters of a past generation, he knew 

 how to grow good timber, a fact to which the plantations he 

 has left behind him bear witness. They prove also that the 

 observant practical forester, if he weighs up the pros and 

 cons of the matter carefully, can acquire a better knowledge of 

 real silviculture in the course of his everyday work than many 

 can do from the teacher of it behind the class-room platform. 

 In forestry, as in most other things, Mr Kay had an open mind. 

 He was not, by any means, the least enthusiastic of the small 

 band which went, under the leadership of Professor Somerville, 

 to Germany in 1895 in order to see for themselves what was the 

 real state of aflfairs at the very fountain-head of scientific silvi- 

 culture, and he came back, like a number of the others, 

 impressed with its perfection. But, knowing the climatic 

 conditions of his native country so well, he was quite convinced 

 that the silviculture which he saw in Germany, and which he 

 saw subsequently in France, could not be adapted to this country 

 as it stood ; that, in fact, it would require to be considerably 

 modified to suit our insular conditions, and there can be no 

 doubt that in this he was right. 



It only remains to be said that in private life Mr Kay 

 was one of the most likeable of men. Shy to a degree and 



