LITERATURE OF SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURE. 233 



fuller statistics, for many of the best and largest monarehs of tree- 

 growth in Scotland have been omitted. 



But while much has been written, as will be seen from the fore- 

 going cursory remarks, regarding the study of arboriculture in our 

 own country, other nations have been increasing and perfecting their 

 knowledge also of this engrossing subject. It would be impossible 

 to enumerate the long list of works upon forestry published during 

 the last tw T o centuries in France, Hanover, Germany, Austria, and 

 even in Italy of recent years. In these countries, the forest schools 

 lend an immense impulse to the progress and development of such 

 literature. But while thus passing over, with the mere mention of 

 its existence, so important a feature in the world's history as the 

 literature of arboriculture, we must not fail to refer to a volume 

 upon a most important chapter of arboriculture, affecting the British 

 Crown in a most material degree, namely, the arboriculture of 

 the forests of our Indian Empire. So many young foresters from 

 Scotland now go forth to seek their fortunes in the jungle and 

 forest stretches of India, and in the Deodar-clad heights of the 

 snow-peaked Himalaya, that it seems to us this paper would be 

 incomplete in itself, and we should be wanting in respect to the 

 services of one, of whom the Scottish Arboricultural Society should 

 ever be proud as a worthy President, did we not notice Dr Cleg- 

 horn's excellent manual of the " Forests and Gardens of South 

 India," published in 1861, and well worthy the careful and atten- 

 tive perusal of any one proposing to join the forest staff of the 

 Indian Government. In fact, it seems to be an indispensable hand- 

 book to such a life in India. We cannot close this somewhat dis- 

 cursive paper without reference to our own series of arboricultural 

 papers, which ought to form, and probably, by and bye, will form 

 the essence of the literature of Scottish arboriculture. This Society 

 has nOw been in existence for twenty-one years, and during that long 

 period, from a small and weakly nurseling, through a very chequered 

 career, has now emerged into her full strong majority, with a constitu- 

 tion invigorated and strengthened during recent years. Throughout 

 these two decades, and without one blank, this Society has published 

 her small annual volume of Transactions, or prize essays of the year, 

 upon prescribed subjects connected with arboriculture in its varied 

 departments. We have therefore in the seven volumes of Transac- 

 tions already published, the thoughts of practical men upon the 

 different phases of tree-growth, and culture, and treatment. Crude 

 and imperfect although these papers may often be, progress has 



