DEPUTATION TO THE RIGHT HON. T. M'KINNON WOOD. 1 I 



present moment in Scotland a sufficient number of men, well 

 trained in both theory and practice, who are perfectly able 

 to carry on any form of afforestation scheme which may be 

 agreed upon. We have on the Council of this Society many 

 men who have devoted twenty years and more of their lives 

 to the study and practice of this great subject, and are 

 perfectly well able to carry out the work necessary on a 

 demonstration area. 



" I hold that there is no sufficient reason for hanging matters 

 up until such time as there may be enough younger men. By 

 the time trees that are planted now will reach the stage when 

 they are ready for thinning and attending to in other ways, 

 we have ample time to train men." 



Mr M'Kinnon Wood said : — " Captain Stirling and gentlemen, 

 I agree entirely with Captain Stirling — there is not the slightest 

 vestige of politics connected with this question. It is a question 

 of pure practical advantage to the country. I must congratulate 

 the Society upon its forthcoming Diamond Jubilee, and I cannot 

 help thinking that the proposal of the Society is an excellent 

 one. I hope that the visit of the foreign delegates to Scotland 

 will be an extremely successful one, and that something will be 

 learnt from it. 



" I don't know that there is occasion for the air of gloom and 

 despair which seems to hang over the deputation, and which all 

 their politeness hardly enables them to avoid expressing. It 

 may be that you are little better off, as Captain Stirling said, 

 but I think your prospects are better. I think the most practical 

 thing for me to do is to tell you what I have done in this matter, 

 and what the particular stage at which we have arrived exactly 

 is, because the air of gloom which has reached you has been 

 existing in other quarters all the time. It is a sort of perennial 

 gloom and it does not depend upon circumstances. 



" When I became Secretary for Scotland and took over the 

 charge of agricultural affairs in Scotland, we had an important 

 report from a Committee on Forestry which laid down certain 

 general views and suggestions, but which did not precisely 

 indicate what particular area ought to be bought as a demon- 

 stration area. I appointed an Advisory Committee to consider 

 that question. Of course it would be impossible for the 

 Board of Agriculture or for myself, as responsible Minister, 

 who must answer to the House of Commons for the expenditure 



