EXCURSION TO THE LOVAT ESTATES. 207 



some plantations that have been exceedingly well managed, some 

 that have been fairly well cared for, and others on which I would 

 rather not make remark. Sometimes I have been asked as to 

 the best method of managing woods, but more frequently my 

 advice has been sought about how to get money out of woods, 

 or how to use them for game cover. But, gentlemen, I am not 

 going to give a history of myself or of what I have seen or done. 

 I will confine the few remarks I am to make to the extent and 

 cost of forest operations fifty years ago as compared with the 

 present time, and to the prospects of forestry in the Highlands in 

 present circumstances. 



A Retrospect and Comparison. 



"Notwithstanding all the Arboricultural Society has done to 

 increase an interest in forestry since it was inaugurated in 1854 

 (and that is not little), my belief is that there is not nearly the 

 same extent of ground being put under trees at the present day 

 as was the case fifty years ago. It is impossible to find out the 

 areas exactly ; nurserymen naturally enough hesitate to state 

 what number of forest trees are grown now as compared with 

 the date I refer to, but nearly all of them say that there is 

 now less ground under trees in nurseries than formerly, and, 

 as a consequence, there must be fewer trees grown in plantations. 

 This is no fault of the nurserymen : given a market for the plants, 

 nurserymen will grow them to supply any demand. I would like 

 to mention some reasons for this shortage of planting. Now, 

 gentlemen, bear with me; I am not a poUtician, and I hope 

 nothing of that nature will ever enter into this Society; but if 

 there is a shortage in planting now, there must be a cause or 

 causes for it, and to my mind some of the following are the 

 reasons. Fifty or sixty years ago there was a heavy tax on all 

 timber imported from foreign countries, and prices of home 

 timber were high in proportion. Besides, proprietors now are 

 handicapped very much by death-duties and other taxation that 

 did not exist in my younger days. Many a proprietor, when he 

 comes into possession, finds heavy burdens on his estate that 

 must be wiped off, and by the time this is done little may be 

 left to expend on planting. It must always be borne in mind 

 that, unless under exceptional circumstances, very few who plant 

 can get much return for their outlay in their own lifetime. Still 

 another reason for less planting being done is the value of game, 



