2S TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



" 3. Education for the rank and file of working foresters 

 must, by means of local classes, be made easy of access. The 

 large schemes of afforestation that are in prospect should be 

 utilised as the training-ground, where, under skilled supervision, 

 young men will gain experience in the best methods of performing 

 silvicultural processes. The working forester is a vital factor 

 in the success of afforestation, and too much consideration 

 cannot be given to his training." 



At the afternoon sitting Miss Macdonald, representing the 

 Ministry of Labour, spoke on "Forestry Work for Women." She 

 said : — " I should like to describe the experience we have had 

 in placing women for forestry work in various parts of Scotland. 

 The women can be employed under two conditions. First, 

 they can enrol as National Service volunteers. Such volunteers 

 get a free outfit provided ; they get their fares paid to the- place 

 where they work ; they are employed a certain time — as long 

 as the farmer or employer requires them — and then they get 

 their fares paid home or to another place of employment. In 

 return for this, the workers agree to sign on for the duration 

 of the war. If the employer sends them home, the girls get 

 2S. 6d. a day unemployment allowance for four weeks. If we 

 cannot replace them in four weeks, they are allowed to sever 

 their connection with National Service. Within these four 

 weeks they must hold themselves in readiness to take up other 

 agricultural work if required. During the summer there were a 

 great many university students and others who were prepared to 

 give their whole summer to agricultural work or forestry, and 

 when the universities take up they go back to their classes. 

 Edinburgh University closed in March, so that the girls could be 

 free for agriculture or forestry during six months. It was 

 arranged that these university girls, and those who were free 

 only for the summer, could be enrolled under the National 

 Service scheme if they wished. They would get all the benefits 

 of the scheme except unemployment allowance, and they agreed 

 that, while the war lasted, for such holidays as they got they 

 would put themselves at our disposal to do agricultural work 

 or forestry. The second condition under which women can be 

 employed is as Ordinary workers ; then they pay their own 

 fares, and their wages are arranged between themselves and 

 the employers, whereas under National Service the employer 

 has to guarantee a minimum wage of i8s., except in the first 



