l6o TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



what Colonel Stirling and Colonel Balfour said about the 

 French system, and I want to point out that the United States 

 system is on all fours with it, and they have done that after 

 experience of working forestry under the Agricultural Department 

 and found it unsatisfactory." 



Mr Andrew Hamilton, East Kilbride. — "I support Mr Stebbing 

 in having things remain as they are, with improvements. 

 It seems to me we cannot get any committee or board which 

 will pay out of their own pocket for their mistakes, which 

 Sir Hugh Shaw-Stewart says is very essential to get the 

 maximum out of any estate. The new committee that v/e 

 suggest setting up will still have the defect that it won't pay 

 out of its own pocket. I do not see, with the developments that 

 are going on and the energy that is being put into the forestry 

 question, with public opinion changed as in a great many 

 other ways during the war, that you are going to have the same 

 difficulties now that you have had in the past; and in a time of 

 war it is like changing horses while crossing the stream to make 

 such recommendations, because that is all we do to the Govern- 

 ment. I quite agree that there has not been enough done. 

 I think we are all agreed on that, but, surely, if the necessary 

 " ginger" is put into our proposals, the Agricultural Department 

 will do a great deal more than it has ever done in the past. 

 The Agricultural Department in England is far greater in its 

 influence than the Agricultural Department in Scotland. That 

 is to be expected because of the number of acres under cultiva- 

 tion, but the number of acres of possible afforestation area in 

 Scotland, in relation to the total area, is very much greater in 

 Scotland than in England, and therefore it is for the people of 

 Scotland to show that we have forestry schemes that are capable 

 of development, and to demand money at Whitehall or from 

 Parliament. It seems to me far better to put our energy through 

 the present Board of Agriculture than set up any new machinery 

 which would only block the very object which we are all seeking 

 to achieve. I second Mr Stebbing's amendment." 



Colonel Malcolm of Poltalloch. — " It seems to me that every- 

 body is very anxious that afforestation should be properly 

 managed. I think it greatly depends on the men you get to 

 manage it. If I am not rude in saying so, I can hardly imagine 

 the Duke who has just left us seeking the position of manager 

 of forestry under the Board of Agriculture in Scotland, but 



