24 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



himself and a disgrace to the nation ; the creation of another 

 variety, the crofter-forester, has therefore a certain risk with 

 such experience of divided occupations. However, as will 

 presently be seen, afforestation will give steady employment 

 to a very considerable number of men, especially when 

 compared with the depopulation which the introduction, to- 

 wards the end of the eighteenth century, of sheep-runs 

 admittedly made inevitable. The subsequent appearance of 

 deer forests as rent-producing subjects did not appreciably 

 affect the number of people on the ground. 



" Without a preliminary survey of the ground presently under 

 deer and sheep, nothing effective can be done in advancing the 

 subject of this paper. Such a survey must be made by practical 

 men who, combined with other forestry knowledge, are at 

 home on the subject of grouse moors, deer forests and rough 

 sheep grazings. The question of altitude is only one of the 

 difficulties which faces the forester ; situation and exposure are 

 even more important. The situation must be chosen with 

 reference to the ultimate transport of the timber; if too far 

 removed from convenient sea or rail facilities the value of the 

 timber will be affected to no small extent. It is well to 

 bear in mind what was written in 1793, in The Agriculture 

 of Ifwerness-shire, in connection with the famous old forest 

 of Achnacarry : ' to purchase imported timber therefore 

 is found to be cheaper, at least, it is preferred.' It may 

 be a revelation to many to learn that over a century ago 

 timber was 'imported' into the Highlands of Scotland. 



" It may be taken for granted that we are on the eve of an 

 economic change in the utilisation of land of whatever quality. 

 Much has been written on the cattle-grazing system which 

 prevailed in the Highlands for the greater part of the eighteenth 

 century ; it is now known to have been wasteful from whatever 

 point of view one looks at it. Moreover, the cattle produced 

 were but small animals and the price received for them must 

 now be regarded as insignificant. Thereafter, the Border fiock- 

 masters invaded the Highlands offering such tempting rents 

 that the landlords received them with open arms, while the 

 people had to ftave the country in great numbers. Sheep had 

 their day; ultimately lairds were in many instances saddled 

 with farms with heavy stocks which they had to take over at 

 acclimatised prices and retain (borrowing the necessary money 



