136 REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY. 
comes in,” —‘ If we grew a much greater area of wood in Scotland, 
and a great quantity of wood were cut down every year, would not 
that lower the price of wood very much?” ‘That would somewhat 
depend upon the foreign supplies coming in; the price is low at 
present.” —“ Does not it happen that when we have great gales in 
Scotland, and a number of trees are blown down, they become 
unsaleable?” ‘They should be properly thinned, and then they 
would be less liable to be blown down.” 
‘With regard to sheep, M. Boppe expressed the opinion that the 
forests would rather increase the quantity of sheep-feed than keep it 
down. He said it was quite true that you would have to exclude 
the sheep and cattle for thirty years out of, say, a hundred ; but he 
said that afterwards the keep of the sheep under the trees would be 
much better than on the moorlands where it at present exists. So 
that, though you would exclude the sheep for a certain number of 
years, there would subsequently be more grazing for the sheep than 
there is at present on the land that is not now afforested?” “Yes; 
I presume he was speaking of deciduous trees, oak and such like, 
and not of fir trees.” 
Colonel GrorGe PEarson, late of the India Forest Department, 
and for eleven years in charge of the students attending the Forest 
School at Nancy, France, in training for the India Forest Service, 
was the next witness, and in the course of his examination replied 
as follows :— 
“Do you generally concur with the evidence which has just been 
given by Dr Cleghorn?” “Generally, I do; there are some little 
explanations I might give if I were asked as to details.” —“ But, 
generally, you take the same view as Dr Cleghorn does?” “TI do.” 
—‘ You are strongly of opinion, I presume, that the more scientific 
training of the Indian forest officers has had a good effect in raising 
the Indian forest revenue?” ‘‘ Without doubt it has had a good 
effect upon the management of Indian forests since I was first con- 
nected with them, twenty-five years ago.”—‘“ Do you think that if 
our forest officials in this country were more systematically trained 
we might hope for a somewhat similar improvement in this country 
also?” ‘ Undoubtedly it would be of the greatest possible advan- 
tage, both for the land agents who have the management of the 
property, and also for the subordinate officers who have the actual 
management of the woods. I think both of them want instruction.” 
—‘Have you formed that opinion from your own observation of the 
