ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, NOVEMBER 7, 1873. 115 



XII. Address delivered at the Twentieth Annual Meeting. By 

 Hugh Cleghorn, M.D., F.K.S.E., late Conservator of Forests, 

 Madras. 



Gentlemen, — In taking the chair to-day, I have to thank you 

 for calling me again to the office of President of our Society, and 

 to express the pleasure I feel at seeing so many of you. It gratifies 

 me to meet you in this lecture hall, with which I have many 

 pleasing associations ; it is hy the courtesy and kindness of Professor 

 Balfour, the Eegius Keeper of the Garden, we have assembled here, 

 and the very walls speak to us of the science of Botany, some know- 

 ledge of which every forester is expected to possess. And much 

 that you will see to-day in this beautiful garden is calculated to 

 stimulate you to extend your knowledge regarding the objects 

 which meet you in daily life. 



As a large proportion of those present have recently joined our 

 ranks, it may not be inappropriate to refer briefly to some points 

 in the history of this Society, and to congratulate ourselves on its 

 prosperity and progress since its commencement in 1854. 



From the records I learn that the duties of Secretary were 

 performed by Mr J. Alexander (of Messrs Dickson & Co.) from 

 1855 to 1858, the first volume of "Transactions" being edited by 

 Dr George Lawson, now Professor of Natural History and Chemis- 

 try in Dalhousie College, Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1858 the secre- 

 tariat devolved on Mr Eobert Stark, nurseryman, lately deceased, 

 who continued to act untd in 1861 the duties were taken up by our 

 present efficient Secretary, Mr John Sadler. 



The first President chosen in 1855-6-7 was Mr James Brown, the 

 well-known author of " The Forester," who, with his two sons, has 

 done much for the advancement of Arboriculture. In 1857 the 

 late Earl of Ducie was President, and contributed a valuable paper, 

 entitled " Eemarks on the Effects of Geological Position on certain 

 Coniferse." His successors were the Earl of Stair, 1858 ; Sir John 

 Hall of Dunglass in 1859; the late Duke of Athole, 1860; John 

 J. Chalmers of Aldbar, 1861 ; Earl of Airlie, 1862 ; Eight Hon. 

 T. F. Kennedy of Dunure, 1863 ; Eobert Hutchison of Car- 

 lowrie, 1864, who remained in office till 1872, and who has laid 

 us under great obligations by his continued exertions on behalf of 

 the Society. 



Financially, the Society has had a very fluctuating experience. 



VOL. VII. PART II. I 



