REPORT OF GENERAL :\IEETING. , 25 



at a high rate of interest), probably selling at a much reduced 

 market value as no tenants could be found. Sheep are in a 

 manner tied to the ground, and however often the tenant 

 changes, the stock, owing to the inflated value, remains on the 

 ground. It need scarcely be stated that this unfortunate 

 situation arose from circumstances over which neither landowner 

 nor flock-master had any control — the free imports of Colonial 

 wool, followed by mutton. As was natural, landowners left 

 with sheep ground on their hands looked about them, and 

 gradually "shooting" tenants took the place of flock masters, 

 sheep-runs becoming deer forests. Deer-stalking became 

 fashionable and rents increased accordingly, even much ground 

 not well suited for deer being turned into forests. 



" Deer forests have served their time, as did sheep-runs, but 

 neither deer nor sheep will disappear from the land ; the number 

 of the former will be lessened, and much low ground formerly 

 placed under sheep will again be ploughed. Deer are not 

 considered to improve the ground on which they feed — certainly 

 sheep do not. The bracken pest is laid by some authorities at 

 the door of the sheep. In the old cattle-grazing days, the 

 hoofs of the herds kept down bracken. There may be about 

 two million acres of land at present under deer which should 

 be transferred to grazing or afforestation purposes ; as for 

 sheep farms, many of them are of poor quality, with a 

 consequent abnormal death-rate. Such ground, let in many 

 instances at 4d. per acre, naturally invites, and is bound to 

 receive, attention from foresters. In passing, however, let it be 

 said that undoubtedly sheep added materially to the prosperity 

 of Scotland, while deer too deserve well of the country. The 

 shooting tenants raised the standard of living and comfort, 

 spending money freely in various ways and giving employment 

 locally as well as to men from a distance. Landowners and 

 forests benefited by the liberality of lessees, permanent 

 improvements being made in many cases. Certain lairds who 

 let their forests applied no small part of their high rents to 

 improving their properties, and wealthy landowners who 

 occupied their own forests were the modern pioneers of 

 afforestation. Hereafter it would appear that deer will be 

 generally restricted to the higher hills; there producing such 

 rents and food as could not otherwise be obtained economically. 



"There are, of course, excellent examples of the value of 



