FORESTRY TRAINING FOR DISCHARGED SOLDIERS AND SAILORS. I 87 



18. Forestry Training for Discharged Soldiers 

 and Sailors. 



The following correspondence on this subject has passed 

 between the President of the Society and the Secretary of the 

 Board of Agriculture for Scotland : — 



Board of Agriculture for Scotland, 



29 St Andrew Square, 



Edinburgh, i^tk November 1917. 



His Grace The Duke of Buccleuch, K.T., 

 Dalkeith House, Dalkeith. 



My Lord Duke, — I am directed by the Board of Agriculture 

 for Scotland to state that, in view of the present dearth of 

 working foresters and of technically qualified head foresters, 

 they are considering the measures to be taken to make good the 

 deficiency and to meet, so far as possible, the demand (which 

 will probably then be much more acute) for this class of 

 labour at the end of the war. 



The Board have in view the training of discharged soldiers 

 and sailors for this purpose, but they feel that their object can 

 only be secured with the assistance of landowners who would 

 be willing to make available their woodlands and the services of 

 their head foresters for instructional purposes. 



With the assistance of the Ministry of Pensions, the Board 

 would propose to select for training men of a certain physical 

 fitness who evinced a desire for the adoption of forestry as a 

 career. These men could be immediately employed on the 

 lighter operations of planting during the winter and on nursery 

 work in the spring. They would probably be fit for half days' 

 work only for some weeks. During this time they would receive 

 some training in general forestry operations. For this the 

 Board must rely upon private estates, and they would be glad 

 if you would be good enough to co-operate with them in the 

 matter. 



It is anticipated that the men would be in receipt of an 

 allowance from the Ministry of Pensions while under training, 

 and that it would therefore be unnecessary to pay them a wage 

 until they were competent. It is understood, however, that the 

 head forester would be willing to undertake the practical 

 training of the men in the various phases of the work which 



