200 TRAXSACTIONS OF ROVAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



creating an enormous amount of interest in the general question 

 of afforestation ; and although every one may not agree with all 

 their views, nor be prepared to go quite so far as they go, 

 none will deny that operations on a substantial scale are 

 imperatively needed ; and it is to be hoped that with this 

 quickened interest a steady, persistent, if cautious, policy may 

 be adopted by the State for the furtherance of some practical 

 schemes for the speedy advancement of forestry in our country. 



25. Deputation from the Society to the Chancellor of the 

 Exchequer on National Afforestation. ^ 



The Chancellor of the Exchequer received, on 22nd March 

 1909, a deputation from the Royal Scottish Arboricultural 

 Society, on national afforestation, in his room in the House of 

 Commons. There were present with the Chancellor — Lord 

 Carrington, Mr Alexander Ure, K.C., Lord Advocate, the 

 Master of Elibank, and Sir Edward Strachey. The deputation 

 consisted of — ^Mr R. C. Munro Ferguson, M.P., Hon. Secretary 

 of the Society, Mr W. Steuart Fothringham of Murthly, Vice- 

 President, Lochiel, Sir Herbert Maxwell, Sir Edward Tennant, 

 Sir Hugh Shaw Stewart, Mr Galloway Weir, ALP., Mr A. T 

 Gillanders, Mr John Crozier, Mr Adam Spiers, Mr G. A. 

 Macdonald, Dr Borthwick, Mr Sydney J. Gammell of 

 Drumtochty, Mr Norman Lamont, M.P., Mr M'Laren, M.P., 

 the Hon. E. S. Montagu, M.P., and Mr Robert Galloway, S.S.C., 

 Secretary and Treasurer of the Society. 



Mr Munro Ferguson, in introducing the deputation, referred 

 to the constant efforts of the Royal Scottish Arboricultural 

 .Society to secure Demonstration Forests as training and experi- 

 mental areas. He pointed out that the first step to be taken 

 must be the creation of a responsible Department of Forestry, 

 which would schedule areas suited to silviculture, and develop 

 large Demonstration Forests, with at least two forest schools. 

 The Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society was convinced that 

 the Treasury would be involved in risks, and the future of 

 silviculture would be compromised, were the Government to 

 begin operations without the initial steps indicated, or were they 



' I'Vf)!!) the Scotsman report. 



