THE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND FORESTRY. 5 



for a forest garden and necessary buildings, from the West of 

 Scotland College for ^^^5200 for two experimental forest areas, 

 and from the Edinburgh and East of Scotland College for 

 ;^i225 for a forest garden and nursery. In forwarding these 

 applications, the Department reported also on a request from 

 the University of Edinburgh for a grant towards forestry in- 

 struction — a request which was not technically in order as an 

 application under the Act, but on which the Commissioners, 

 not wishing to stand on technicalities, had thought it well to 

 seek at once the views of the Department. 



At the same time, the Department stated that they thought it 

 essential as a first step towards the development of forestry in 

 Scotland, and towards the better utilisation of existing forestry 

 areas, that there should be, altogether apart from the colleges, 

 at least one forest demonstration area of considerable size 

 under independent management, for purposes altogether different 

 from those of a mere adjunct to any of the teaching centres. 

 Accordingly the Department proposed, with the concurrence of 

 the Commissioners, to appoint a Committee to consider and 

 report, at the earliest possible opportunity, as to the exact 

 function of such a forest area, the staff and equipment needed, 

 the composition of a suitable body of management, and the 

 relation of the demonstration area to the college and university 

 centres giving instruction in forestry ; and further, to make a 

 selection of the most suitable area or areas to be used for the 

 purpose indicated. 



The questions raised in this letter were considered at their 

 meeting at the beginning of January 191 1, by the Commis- 

 sioners' Forestry Committee, who heard evidence from Sir John 

 Stirling-Maxwell, Mr R. C. Munro-Ferguson, M.P., Lord Lovat, 

 Captain Stirling and Mr John D. Sutherland. On the Com- 

 mittee's recommendation the Commissioners, on the 12th 

 January 191 1, addressed a letter to the Department concurring 

 in the appointment of a Committee as proposed, making some 

 suggestions as to its composition, and expressing the opinion 

 that the proposed demonstration area should be in a central 

 position in Scotland, and that it would be advisable that it 

 should comprise not fewer than 5000 and not more than 10,000 

 acres of land. 



As there must necessarily be a forest school attached to the 

 proposed demonstration area, the Commissioners thought that 



