REPORT ON THE FORESTRY EXHIBITION. 1 35 



15. Report on the Forestry Exhibition at the Highland 

 and Agricultural Society's Show at Perth, 1924. 



By James K. Leven, B.Sc. 



The Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society's Forestry Exhibi- 

 tion proved to be a great attraction for visitors to the Highland 

 Show this year, the attendance at the Society's Stand throughout 

 the four days being excellent, while Thursday's attendance was 

 remarkable. 



Considering that the show was held on the threshold of the 

 home of Scottish forestry, it was only to be expected that the 

 timber and other exhibits should be of a very high standard of 

 quality and merit. 



The number of entries in the competitions for specimens of 

 timber was very large. Some magnificent planks of Scots pine, 

 spruce, larch, and oak which were most noticeable for quality, 

 were exhibited, while in the other classes of this section some 

 good planks were also shown. The first three planks of Scots 

 pine were difficult to judge as they were all of very good grain 

 and colour, but the first, from the AthoU estates, was the 

 cleanest grained and best coloured plank. The spruce class 

 contained some wonderful planks. The first one, from the 

 Earl of Mansfield's Logiealmond estate, was a splendid white, 

 clean-grained, knot-free piece of timber and comparable to the 

 best foreign white-wood. The second and third planks were 

 not so fine grained, but fairly free of knots. In fact most of 

 the spruce exhibit was as good as most imported timber. The 

 larch planks did not leave much to be desired for quality or 

 size. The one which gained the first prize was from the 

 Lynedoch section of the Mansfield estates; it was a very clean, 

 straight-grained specimen of a pinkish colour and showed very 

 little sapvvood. The second and third, from Dupplin and 

 Bonskeid respectively, were also well-grained planks, but 

 slightly darker in colour than the first. 



The prize ash planks had little to distinguish between them, 

 all three being very straight-grained and free from knots. The 

 selection of the best oak planks was rather a difficult process in 

 view of there being a straight-grained quality, and a figured 

 quality which is more suitable for cabinet work. The first prize 

 piece was a fine straight-grained plank from Keir estate. The 



