76 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



we would have a famine of these in both England and Scotland. 

 We had no timber coming from abroad that could replace 

 that of our native hardwoods, and he deplored the fact that 

 Governments did not take steps to encourage the cultivation 

 of these trees, which were of such vital importance to our 

 timber-using industries. Mr Spiers then referred to the Society's 

 visit to Kew Gardens, and the splendid opportunity afforded 

 there to study the growth and uses of our native trees. The 

 interests of the whole commercial public, and in fact of the 

 whole nation, lay in the increased cultivation of our own trees. 

 He hoped the Forestry Societies would continue to further 

 the production of native timber, as he thought that in future 

 we would have more difficulty in drawing supplies from abroad. 

 He had himself lived to see great deterioration both in the quality 

 and size of our imported timbers, and he thought we could, 

 if we tried, make up for this by home production. 



Mr Charles Buchanan, Convener of the Excursion Committee, 

 then rose to propose the health of the Chairman. In the course 

 of a short speech he referred to Sir John Stirling Maxwell as 

 one of the ablest foresters and proprietors in Scotland, whose 

 worth was recognised by all the Societies. The toast was 

 received with great enthusiasm, and in reply Sir John said : — 

 "It is very kind of you to drink my health so warmly, and 

 I thank you very heartily. Our gathering to-night has indeed 

 been a remarkable one. I do not suppose that any more 

 representative gathering of Empire foresters has ever met 

 on the occasion of an excursion of our oldest Forestry Society 

 — I mean the Scottish Society. By a happy string of accidents 

 the dinner has expanded into something quite different from 

 the annual one, as here we find the interests of the Empire 

 represented as well as our particular interest at home. I 

 would like to endorse what Mr Roger said just now about 

 the Empire Forestry Association. The object of that body 

 is to link together the foresters of the Empire who have so 

 few opportunities of keeping in touch with each other. The 

 suggestion which Mr Roger made to-day of a club was new 

 to me, but it seems a very good one on the face of it. I 

 hope that in the course of the next few months every forester 

 who takes an interest in the wider aspect of our calling will 

 enrol himself as a member of that Association." 



This speech brought the proceedings to a conclusion. 



