12 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



adopt it, it must do so on its own responsibility. All that the 

 Commissioners mean is that the afforestation schemes of the 

 local authorities can and should be arranged so as to employ 

 the largest number of men suitable for the work at the time 

 when the aggregate demand for labour is at its lowest. The 

 men employed by the authorities may be all skilled men, and 

 not include one of the class popularly known as the 

 " unemployed." The Commissioners hope that an increase in 

 skilled employment at a time of stress will react beneficially on 

 the market for unskilled labour ; but they would hesitate to put 

 forward any suggestions for economic development by afforesta- 

 tion on the basis that such labour must be used when and 

 because it is unfortunately too abundant elsewhere. They 

 believe that this policy is in accordance with the intentions of 

 Parliament as expressed in the Development, etc.. Act. 



(iii.) Scotland. 



At their April meeting the Commissioners had before them 

 the application of the University of Edinburgh for grants in aid 

 of forestry instruction. They decided to recommend that a 

 grant, not exceeding ^^2000 spread over a period of five years, 

 be made to the University for the establishment and maintenance 

 of a forest garden on the following conditions : — 



{a) That the garden shall be for the joint use of the students 

 both at the University and at the Edinburgh and East 

 of Scotland College of Agriculture. 



{h) That the grant shall be expended under the supervision 

 of a joint committee, composed of an equal number of 

 representatives of the University Court and of the 

 Board of Governors of the College. 



It was also decided to inform the University that the 

 Commissioners would be prepared to consider proposals 

 embodying a reasonably complete scheme for the extension of 

 the forestry museum and laboratory, and to consider an 

 application for meeting the cost of increasing the staff of forestry 

 instructors at the University, when a definite agreement had 

 been reached with the College of Agriculture, such as would 

 prevent duplication of work and expenditure in the two 

 institutions. 



This agreement was reached in August, with the co-operation 

 of the Scotch Education Department. On the 27th September 

 the Commissioners recommended, in addition to the previous 



