34 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBOR1CULTURAL SOCIETY. 



it will insist that the expense of such protection should be paid 

 by the parties who make such protection necessary. It is not 

 to be desired that the State should interfere unduly with the 

 rights of private owners, but it is certain that no individual 

 should be allowed to conduct the management of his affairs 

 in such a way that the property of the nation suffers. If once 

 the position with regard to State property is defined it should 

 be simple to extend the principle to relations between individuals. 

 In this connection the exhibits of young forest trees, showing the 

 injury caused by rabbits, were of great value. Young trees were 

 obtained by Mr Whitton, and arranged by him to show stages 

 from one to five years. When it is appreciated by the public 

 how much depends on the care given to the young plantations 

 and how much of their money must be paid in the rearing 

 of plants, a further advance will have been made. At 

 present, young plantations are too often regarded as rather 

 pleasant features in the landscape • their value is only remotely 

 appreciated. 



There were included also in the exhibits, objects of more 

 special interest, such as sections prepared to show the most 

 economical conversion of timber. The prepared samples of 

 mining timber should reinforce the lessons learned during the 

 war as to the necessity of converting every part of timber that 

 can find a market. It is rather unfortunate, however, that very 

 often the deciding factor must be the cost of transport. It can 

 not be argued that special consideration should be given to 

 certain forms of industry unless it can be shown at the same 

 time that the nation as a whole benefits. The question is 

 one that involves the consideration of the use of small timber 

 generally. It is not necessary that special treatment of any 

 kind should be given to the proposed national industry. Those 

 who have given thought to the position are certain that the 

 industry is an economically sound one, and it is their duty to 

 show the nation that the matter is one that is of national 

 importance. 



A mere list of all the objects shown would give but a feeble 

 impression of the aims of the Society in sending the collection 

 to Glasgow. The purpose was mainly to stimulate public 

 interest in an industry which directly affects the prosperity of 

 the country. The appeal to public interest was made, not by 

 a mass of isolated interesting specimens but by a carefully 



