DEMONSTRATION FORESTS FOR SCOTLAND. 23 



great Continental forest schools. At Nancy VEcole Nationale 

 Foresii}re de France has, within a radius of a few miles, 

 Demonstration Forests covering thousands of acres, in which 

 even such difficult and complicated operations as the conversion 

 of coppice to high-forest can be studied first-hand. The 

 comparative suitability of natural and artificial reproduction, 

 the effect of thinnings at various stages, and of the density of 

 the canopy on the acre-volume, the requisite closeness of the 

 final crop, and the adaptability of various species to the en- 

 vironment, are only among a few of the other problems that may 

 be studied or demonstrated in this magnificent State property. 

 The Reale Instituto Forestale at Vallambrosa, in Italy, is similarly 

 provided with an instructional area of large extent. In this 

 case the forest is actually at the doors of the college — an 

 advantage beyond all estimate. In both cases examples of 

 mismanagement and erroneous systems are to be found close 

 by, in adjoining private forests — to the undoubted benefit of 

 students properly instructed. 



All over Europe the necessity for such Demonstration Forests 

 has long been admitted, and surely therefore it can hardly be 

 held that, what is regarded as a sine qud non by the greatest 

 silvicultural experts on the Continent, is unnecessary in 

 Scotland, where the science is as yet only in embryo, where the 

 faulty teaching of centuries has to be eradicated, and a founda- 

 tion of forest management on a scientific basis is only now 

 being laid. 



This rather lengthy dissertation on the principles of forestry 

 is necessitated by the importance of realising that a proper 

 Demonstration Forest for Scotland is an absolute necessity, if 

 silvicultural education is to be raised to the level demanded by 

 the gravity of the interests involved. By a proper Demonstra- 

 tion Forest, it will be understood, is meant an area to be placed 

 under methodical scientific management, and of sufficient extent 

 to enable various systems of treatment to be adequately dis- 

 played, as well as to permit the undertaking of experiments of 

 all kinds. For this purpose the area should not be less than 

 1500 acres — the nearer it approximates to 2000 acres the better. 



Comparative accessibility is also of the highest importance. 

 Assuming Edinburgh to be the centre of Scottish Forest Train- 

 ing, the forest should not be more than, at the most, a few 

 hours' distance by rail. As has been seen, the ideal condition 



