DEPUTATION TO THE RIGHT HON. T. M'KINNON WOOD. 3 



in celebration of its sixtieth anniversary, the Society intends to 

 invite distinguished silviculturists from foreign countries and 

 our colonies to be the guests of the Society in Scotland for ten 

 days, and to take them to see our woods and districts suitable 

 for afforestation. Perhaps I may be allowed to run over briefly 

 some of the milestones on the track of the Society in recent 

 years : — 



" In 1902 the Departmental Committee on Forestry (appointed 

 largely at the instance of the Society) made its report recom- 

 mending for Scotland the provision of a Demonstration Area. 



"In 1904 the Council sent a resolution to the Board of 

 Agriculture in London requesting that effect should be given 

 to the recommendation of the Departmental Committee. 



" In 1908 the estate of Inverliever was purchased by the Com- 

 missioner of Woods and Forests. This estate, being destitute 

 of woodlands, cannot for a long time to come serve the purpose 

 of a demonstration area. It is, in fact, valuable at present 

 only as an example of afforestation of waste ground. 



" In the same year was published the interim report of the 

 Coast Erosion Commission with its colossal estimate of afforest- 

 able land. 



" In 1909 a resolution was sent to the Government urging the 

 appointment of a Board or Commission of Forestry charged with 

 a survey of land suitable for silviculture, and (once more) the 

 purchase of a demonstration area. 



" The reception of a deputation by the Chancellor of the 

 Exchequer, the establishment of the Development Commission, 

 also in 1909, raised new hopes. But in 19 10 another resolution 

 was sent to the Government again urging the importance of a 

 Board of Forestry, demonstration areas, and a survey of afforest- 

 able land. In the same year the Society undertook to make, 

 at its own expense, a sample survey of a district suitable for 

 afforestation, the result of which was published in 19 11 as the 

 Forest Survey of Glen Mor. 



"To sum up the situation in a word, the attachment between 

 the Board of Agriculture and Forestry is a platonic one, nothing 

 comes of it. 



"In 19 II a letter was addressed to the Secretary for Scotland 

 asking that a Commissioner for Forestry should be appointed 

 under the^Small Landholders Bill. The Minister in his reply, 

 while refusing the request for a Commission under the Bill, 



