OBITUARY NOTICES. 243 
done, and the fearless criticism and straightforwardness of speech 
which he brought to bear on the discussions he took part in, 
when he thought the occasion required it, will long live in 
the memory of his colleagues and friends, but only as outward 
evidence of his singleness of purpose, and of the intense interest 
which he took in the welfare of the Society. To him Forestry 
was the be all and end all of its existence, and he was impatient 
of anything which he considered to be outwith its legitimate 
sphere of work. But he took no narrow, parochial view of its 
aims, and with most of the schemes or proposals for widening 
the scope of its work and extending the sphere of its influence 
and usefulness he was in warm sympathy, and not least, perhaps, 
with the scheme which has just been given effect to, namely, 
the establishment of branches in some of the principal cities 
of the kingdom. In private life he was one of the most genial 
and kind-hearted of men. 
Mr Pitcaithley was born at Dunkeld in 1857, and was trained 
in the Duke of Atholl’s nurseries at Ladywell, whence he went 
as foreman to the Duke of Sutherland’s estate at Dunrobin. 
A few years later he became head-forester on the Duchess 
of Sutherland’s Cromarty estates, and subsequently he served 
in the same capacity on the Jardin Hall estate in Dumfries- 
shire. From there he went to Sudbourne Hall, in Suffolk, 
where he remained for some years, and thence he removed 
to the Scone estates of the Earl of Mansfield, where he 
succeeded the late Mr Bayne as wood-manager. 
As a forester Mr Pitcaithley was well abreast of the times, 
and he held strong views regarding the necessity for improve- 
ment in our methods of growing timber for commercial 
purposes, evidence of which may be found in the statements 
which he laid before the Departmental Committee on 
Forestry in tg02, and which is published in the Blue-Book 
of the Evidence. His good work at Scone is too well known 
to require more than passing notice here, and it only needs to 
be added that it was much appreciated by his noble employer, 
and that in forestry matters his advice was much sought 
after otherwise. 
Mr Pitcaithley served for several terms at the Council Board 
of the Society, and also on several of its Committees; and at 
the time of his death he was senior Vice-President. 
Are 
