• 4 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARIiORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



(2) To report as to any further steps, following upon the 

 acquisition of the said area, which, in the opinion of 

 the Committee, it is desirable should be taken with a 

 view to providing silviculture in Scotland, due regard 

 being had to the interests of other rural industries. 

 No official proposals had been received by the end of the year. 



(iv.) Ireland. 



The Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for 

 Ireland applied, on the 28th April, for grants to meet the salaries 

 of additional staff to assist generally in their forestry work, and 

 particularly in afforesting certain lands in South Ireland, for the 

 acquisition of which the Commissioners recommended an advance 

 of ^25,000 in November 1910. The Commissioners did not 

 think that forestry was sufficiently advanced in Ireland to justify 

 them in meeting the whole of the Department's demands for 

 increased staff, but they recommended, on the 21st August, an 

 advance of such sum as might be required to defray that part of 

 the following expenses which might become payable during the 

 current financial year : — 



Salary of a forestry officer to take charge of the Demonstra- 

 tion Forest and Research Institute . ;^4oo-;^6oo 

 Salary of a forestry officer to be employed in 



the preparation of working-plans . . ^3oo-;^40o 



Salaries of temporary valuers . . ;£2oo 



Salary of a second division clerk . . jQl^-^Qz'^^ 



Salary of a surveying mapping clerk . ^£90-^120 



Salary of a typist .... £so-£lS 



Travelling expenses .... ^^250 



Owing to the existence of grazing rights and to difficulties 

 over boundary claims, the Department deemed it prudent to 

 abandon negotiations for the purchase of about 3700 acres 

 included in the scheme of afforestation approved by the Com- 

 missioners at the end of 19 10. They informed the Commissioners 

 of their decision on the 23rd February, and asked at the same 

 time for authority to substitute other areas having about the 

 same acreage. After considering a report on the proposed 

 additional areas, prepared at their request by one of their 

 members, Mr Ennis, the Commissioners, at their meeting on the 

 28th March, decided to approve negotiations for the purchase of 

 two of these areas aggregating about 3150 acres. 



In regard to certain smaller areas which the Department 

 desired to acquire, the Commissioners came to the conclusion, 

 from the evidence supplied by Mr Ennis's report, that while the 

 eventual purchase of these areas may be desirable, the further 

 consideration of the matter should be deferred until larger plots 

 suitable for planting become available in the same localities. 



