1 6 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



One of the gentlemen who spoke seemed to think that the 

 Universities only were to have power to grant degrees. We 

 in Aberdeen have already a degree in forestry. We have two 

 lecturers in forestry, one appointed by the College of Agriculture 

 and one by the University. We are in exceptionally close 

 touch with the University in all our forestry work, and, as I 

 have already stated, we have an admirable estate close by for 

 the valuable purpose of training foresters in practical work. 

 We do not assume that the diploma to be granted will be of 

 the same standard as the University degree in Forestry, and 

 I should be sorry if there was any misapprehension on that 

 point. I desire simply to enter a caveat that, personally, I 

 do not adopt or commit those I have the honour to represent 

 to the adoption of the view put forward in the minute." 



Mr George Leven. — "I think an important omission has been 

 made by the Committee. I am extremely disappointed that 

 they have made no reference to the training of women. At 

 this moment, when we are extremely short in so many branches 

 of labour, I am glad to be able to say that I am much 

 more than a convert to women's work in forestry. At the 

 present moment I could specify one estate in the south-east 

 of Scotland — not the one I am connected with — where women 

 have undertaken very important work during this past season. 

 They have not only been useful in planting operations and in 

 felling and cleaning pit-wood, but they have tackled trees of a 

 cubic capacity of 230 feet and felled them to the satisfaction of 

 merchants and others. That is a very big undertaking, and 

 there are many people who would scarcely believe it, but it 

 is absolutely the case, and I believe if we could devote more 

 attention than we have done in the past to better tools, better 

 equipment, and perhaps a little better accommodation than 

 some of them have had, that we would be able to make use of 

 a very great number of women. I do not think it is altogether 

 fair that we should treat them as beasts of burden. We should 

 make some provision for training them, because I am absolutely 

 convinced they can do a great amount of the work that falls to 

 men in forestry. The women I have referred to have been 

 able to do almost all the work with the exception of " laying in " 

 these very large trees. They should be well equipped as regards 

 dress and improved tools ; and I think when they are provided 

 with proper saws and other instruments to work with to suit 



