LETTER TO BOARD OF AGRICULTURE FOR SCOTLAND. 1 43 



17. Letter to the Board of Agriculture for Scotland. 



The following letter has been addressed by the President to 

 the Chairman of the Board of Agriculture for Scotland : — 



To the Chaintian of the 

 Board of Agriculture for Scotland. 



Sir, — The Council of the Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society 

 observe with regret that another financial year has come to a 

 close without any proposal for a considerable scheme of 

 afforestation having been brought before the Development 

 Commissioners. We do not for a moment suppose or suggest 

 that a large scheme could have been matured in the time that 

 has elapsed since the creation of the Board of Agriculture for 

 Scotland ; but it is, in our view, a matter for great regret, now 

 that Scotland possesses a Public Department with special 

 duties towards all rural industries, that no steps have been taken 

 towards a great expansion of that rural industry, which is 

 capable of its greatest development in those districts where 

 employment is most needed by the people. The following 

 answer to a question put by the Right Hon. R. Munro-Ferguson, 

 M.P., in the House of Commons, deserves to be quoted at 

 length : — 



JMr d/lufiro-Ferguso/i's Question No. 12. 

 Ans7vered by Mr Robertson. 



The advances from the Development Fund sanctioned for 

 forestry purposes are — England and Wales, ^18,435 ; Scotland, 

 ;^ii,i5o- Ireland, ;!^28, 050. The actual amounts issued from 

 the Fund to date are _;^i8oo, ;!^i98 and ^5365, respectively. 



It is impossible to state the precise amount of the advances 

 indicated as probable because they are frequently conditional 

 on the satisfactory preparation of detailed estimates and schemes 

 which are not yet available : but I am informed that the 

 Commissioners have provisionally given it to be understood 

 that they would, if necessary, support schemes for the provision 

 of a certain number of experimental and demonstration forests 

 in England and Wales, and would supply funds for the 

 afforestation of about 15,000 acres in Ireland. As regards 

 Scotland, the Commissioners have agreed to consider the 

 provision of a demonstration area. 



The Commissioners have also sanctioned certain grants for 



