Development of Afforestation. 



Immediately after the last Annual Meeting a letter was 

 received from the Secretary of the Forestry Sub-Committee of 

 the Reconstruction Committee asking the Society's advice on 

 the subject of the reference to them, namely — The best means 

 of conserving and developing the woodlands and forestry 

 resources of the United Kingdom, having regard to the 

 experience gained during the war. This letter was considered 

 at the first meeting of the Council held after it was received, 

 and a statement was drawn up and presented to the Sub- 

 Committee. This statement was subsequently printed in the 

 Transactions, and was adopted by the General Meeting of the 

 Society held in Glasgow in July. It was also, with the approval 

 of the Reconstruction Committee, sent to all Scottish M.P.'s 

 and Government Departments concerned. Two of the Develop- 

 ment Commissioners, Sir William Haldane and Sir S. Eardley 

 Wilmot, who are members of the Society, sent letters dis- 

 approving of the views expressed in the statement. 



The report of the Forestry Sub-Committee of the Recon- 

 struction Committee has now been published. Its recom- 

 mendations, and also an article on it entitled "Forestry 

 Reconstruction," by Colonel Stirling of Keir, have been printed 

 in the Transactions. Members will have an opportunity to-day 

 of listening to a number of speakers setting forth the main 

 provisions of the report, and of afterwards taking part in the 

 discussion following upon the motion to be submitted by Sir 

 Andrew Agnew. 



On nth August, the Secretary for Scotland received a 

 deputation of the Council and a representative from the 

 Aberdeen Branch, in Edinburgh, when views were exchanged 

 regarding the future of forestry. A full report of the meeting 

 is printed on pp. 49-72 of the Transactions recently issued 

 (Part I of Vol. xxxii.). 



In view of meetings between the Secretary for Scotland and 

 the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture, at which forestry was 

 discussed, the Council approved of the President making a 

 public pronouncement defining the position which the Council 

 had adopted. A letter was accordingly approved and sent to 

 the press, and an interesting correspondence followed, which 

 no doubt members are familiar with. A resolution asking for 

 the return of Mr Sutherland to his position at the Board of 

 Agriculture was also sent to the Secretary for Scotland, the 

 Board of Agriculture, and Mr Sutherland himself. An invita- 

 tion was also sent to the Council of the Scottish Chamber 

 of Agriculture to appoint a Committee to confer with the 

 Council of this Society regarding the points on which there 

 might be conflict of views between agriculturists and foresters. 

 The invitation has been accepted subject to conditions, but the 

 Committees have not yet met. 



