158 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARIiORICULTUR AL SOCIETY. 



ultimately so fully organised as to obviate the necessity of 

 sending British students abroad for their practical training." 



He then gives some valuable suggestions as to the organisa- 

 tion of the Crown Forests of Dean, High Meadow and Tintern 

 for demonstration purposes. The constitution and organisa- 

 tion of the staff, together^ with the adaptation of the existing 

 facilities in that particular centre, are carefully gone into. To 

 make these Crown woods suitable for a demonstration area 

 Sir S. Eardley-Wilmot estimates would entail in round figures 

 an annual expenditure of ^4500 and a capital expenditure 

 of about ;;/^i 2,000 to ^17,000. 



Appendix III., entitled "Notes on Research and Experiments," 

 is by Mr R. L. Robinson. The writer shows in a convincing 

 manner the urgent and vital necessity for research and experi- 

 ment in the development of forestry. He points out in a clear 

 and practical manner the lines along which investigation should 

 at present proceed in connection with timber and seed research. 

 We know next to nothing about the physical qualities of home- 

 grown timbers, and for the bulk of our information we have to 

 rely upon data which applies to timber grown in other countries. 

 It may be said, however, that the Forestry Department at 

 Cambridge is going ahead and attacking in a business-like 

 fashion the problems of timber physics. 



The following extract from this Appendix merely indicates 

 one of the many important questions which still await co7i- 

 ciusive demonstration in connection with timber research. 



" Forestry would be receiving valuable service if it could be 

 conclusively shown that Scots pine and spruce timbers of superior 

 quality can be grown in this country. With certain classes of 

 people who deal with forest products it now passes as proven 

 that we cannot grow good timber of these species. The seller 

 of timber naturally finds it difficult to dispute this assertion and 

 is consequently at a disadvantage in doing business. 



" Investigations abroad have shown that easily determined 

 qualities such as specific gravity are an excellent measure of 

 the relative strength of two pieces of timber of the same species. 

 In an investigation of this kind the testing machine should play 

 a secondary part only. The matter must be attacked in a more 

 general way. The material which is being shipped into our 

 ports should be sampled carefully according to its grade, and 

 comparisons made with the converted home-grown material. 



