FORESTRY AT EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY. 209 



prevent careless and inefficient work. With the object of affording 

 the students an opportunity of carrying out a course of practical 

 work, the lecturer in forestry at Edinburgh this year inaugurated 

 a scheme to supplement the theoretical instruction, as given in 

 the lecture-room, by some practical illustrations of how things 

 were done in the woods. 



With the kindly support and active assistance of Mr R. C 

 Munro Ferguson, M.P., who offered the lecturer the use of 

 Raith woods, it has been possible this year to initiate a ten days' 

 practical forestry work. Mr Munro Ferguson undertook to 

 provide the party with accommodation, and his staflf put every- 

 thing necessary at the disposal of the caterer of the messing 

 arrangements. 



A party of twenty arrived at Raith early on Friday, the 24th 

 March, and, the climatic conditions proving fortunately fair, 

 carried out a programme of strenuous work. 



The programme set before the party, which is detailed below, 

 is well adapted to give the student taking a first forestry course 

 a satisfactory knowledge of the practical side of the first 

 principles of forestry management. 



The Programme of Work. 



March 24. — Nursery Work : lining out 4- and 5-year-old 

 oak and beech transplants in nursery lines. Previous to 

 starting the work, brief notes on nursery management were given 

 to the students. The party then set to work to line out the 

 plants, the students working in four separate parties, and each 

 man taking his turn to perform the different operations under 

 the general supervision of the lecturer and the guidance of the 

 forester, Mr J. Grant, and a couple of skilled labourers. 



March 25. — Planting out birch, blue Douglas, mountain pine 

 and Spanish chestnut. This work was mostly underplanting with 

 plants of fair size. The soil in places was stony or filled with 

 roots, necessitating the use of the pick. The whole of the party 

 were engaged in the work, each man digging his own pits and 

 planting them up. 



In the two days' work 1800 beech transplants and 1500 oak 

 were lined out in the nurseries; 2070 beech, blue Douglas, 

 mountain pine and Spanish chestnut were planted out in the 

 woods. 



