146 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and has existed for some years past, which some people oddly 

 enough wish to continue. 



" Let me say a word on these two bodies who have the dual 

 control of forestry in Scotland at the present time. I do not 

 know whether there is any representative of the Scottish Board 

 of Agriculture here or of the Development Commissioners. I 

 would very much sooner say anything I have to say in their 

 presence than behind their backs, but they have had every 

 opportunity of attending this meeting. I would like to say a 

 word first regarding the Development Commissioners. On page 

 ir of this Blue Book there is set forth a statement showing the 

 sum total of advances from the Development Fund recommended 

 to the Treasury up to the 31st March 19 15. I mention those 

 to remind you what a number of matters of great importance 

 have to be dealt with by the Development Commissioners, quite 

 apart from forestry. There are agricultural and rural industries 

 with a grant of over ^1,000,000. There is a forestry grant of 

 ;j^67,ooo. Then there is Reclamation and Drainage of Land, 

 Rural Transport, Harbours (which item alone has an enor- 

 mously greater amount of money set apart for it than forestry), 

 Inland Navigation, and the important subject of Fisheries. 

 Thus forestry is only one of a number of important subjects 

 with which it is their business to deal. When they come to 

 deal with forestry one naturally looks with anxiety at the list 

 of the Development Commissioners to see if there is anybody, 

 or if there are many people, on that Board specially acquainted 

 with forestry. I have heard two names mentioned as specially 

 qualified to advise us how to manage our forestry in Scotland 

 with the help of the Scottish Board of Agriculture — Mr 

 Wilmot and Sir William Haldane. I have not the pleasure 

 of Mr Wilmot's acquaintance, but I understand that his forestry 

 knowledge has all been acquired in India, and so far as I am 

 aware he has no special knowledge of Scottish conditions. The 

 other gentleman, Sir William Haldane, I am perfectly ready to 

 admit, and I gladly admit, shares the remarkable ability of his 

 family — and no one admires Lord Haldane's schemes in dealing 

 with the army more than I do, honestly — but I entirely decline 

 to accept Sir William Haldane as an authority on forestry in 

 Scotland or anywhere else. I have never heard of his nurseries 

 or of any timber sale on his estate. I am told that he manages 

 other people's estates. Of course you can acquire a good deal of 



