that of any of the other counties. That is perhaps not surprising, 

 for it is a very well-wooded county. They came from forty 

 schools in that county and consequently, although the number 

 of schools was not large, the- standard was extremely high, and 

 we canie to the conclusion that the certificates awarded by Sir 

 Kei^ne/.h MacKenzie, who took a great deal of trouble in the 

 mattes were well deserved. The other essays were mostly from 

 the South-Western counties and Lanarkshire, and they were 

 more or less of a class. I do not think they were as high as 

 Inverness. There are certain recommendations which I think 

 the Education Committee will make about future competitions, 

 but I need not go into that point now." 



Chairman's Remarks. 



The Chairman. — "Before moving approval of these reports 

 I would like to say a word or two, and I will be as brief as 

 I can, because we are to have an interesting discussion later on. 

 First of all I would like, on behalf of the Society, to thank 

 members for their attendance here to-day. It is a very 

 satisfactory attendance, considering the weather, and shows 

 the continued interest which is being taken in what ought 

 to be one of our principal industries. It is also a matter for 

 congratulation to the members to see Lord Lovat, the head 

 of the Forestry Commission, here to-day. We would like to 

 thank him for the devoted and practical services which he has 

 rendered to forestry in this country, and although we perhaps 

 do not always agree — being Scotsmen, it would be very wrong 

 if we did — with what the Forestry Commission does, we do 

 appreciate its difficulties. Well, looking back on the year that 

 has passed, we see that forestry like everything else has suffered 

 somewhat severely owing to the economic depression, but before 

 touching on that subject I would like just to refer to one or two 

 of the points that have been dealt with. One of the happiest 

 things that have been done this year was the work of the 

 Education Committee in connection with the rural schools. 

 I am quite certain that if we can interest the children of this 

 country in forestry at an age when their minds are alive and 

 receptive, it will be a good thing for forestry hereafter, and 

 incidentally for country life and for the children themselves. 

 I do not place so very much store on the actual merit of the 



