DEPUTATION TO THE RIGHT HON. T. M'KINNON WOOD. 5 



land as the representative of the Board at our General Meeting 

 in February of the present year. 



" Mr Sutherland gave us reason to hope that the long pro- 

 mised demonstration area would soon be definitely fixed upon. 

 With that assurance we are content, and I have nothing to say 

 on the demonstration area, except that though we cannot be 

 expected to express an opinion on a report which we have not 

 seen, we have all confidence in the judgment of the members of 

 our Council who are serving on the Advisory Committee. We 

 would urge strongly, however, that if the present negotiations 

 should unhappily break down, the absence of a demonstration 

 area shall not serve as an excuse for deferring progress in other 

 directions. Mr Sutherland promised — or fore-shadowed — the 

 appointment of advisory and research officers. We have since 

 learnt that owing to a difference of opinion with the Develop- 

 ment Commissioners as to the repayment of the salary of these 

 officers, no appointment has been made. 



" Mr Sutherland also told us that a survey was in preparation 

 showing the areas contained within the limit of altitude at which 

 silviculture is practicable. To borrow his description — the areas 

 are divided into three sections, first, under 500 ft.; second, 

 500 to 1000 ft.; third, 1000 to 1500 ft. — and these maps are 

 intended to be of service in agricultural as well as silvicultural 

 operations. So far as Mr Sutherland's description goes, it is 

 not easy to see, in this survey, anything which could not be 

 accomplished by an intelligent child with the aid of a contour 

 map and a penny paint-box. I hope that I am not unfair to the 

 survey, but it appears to ignore the all-important considerations 

 of soil and shelter. In the last sentence, the practised ear can 

 detect the mewing of the agricultural cat inside the silvicultural 

 bag. I cannot insist too strongly that these criticisms are not 

 directed against Mr Sutherland, but against the impossible 

 system under which he has to work. 



"Therefore, Sir, we respectfully ask you to consider our 

 demand for a Department of Forestry in connection with the 

 Board of Agriculture for Scotland, with a separate grant for 

 forestry purposes only. We are able to show ample justification 

 for a separate Department and a separate grant in the work to 

 be done. It will be shown by the speakers who are to follow me 

 that — 



(i) Large tracts of land well suited for afforestation exist in 



