ANNUAL EXCURSION. 83 



9. The Excursion to Switzerland/ 



( With Illustrations.) 

 By G. P. Gordon, B.Sc.(Edin. & Oxon.). 



Through the medium of the Foreign Office the thirty-sixth 

 annual excursion of the Society was organised to take place 

 this year in Switzerland. Dr Coaz, Inspector-General of Forests 

 for Switzerland, mapped out a comprehensive tour for the 

 Society, and allotted three Federal Inspectors of Forests to 

 conduct the party through its various stages. An extract of the 

 official programme was made, a translation of which was in the 

 hands of all the excursionists some time before leaving home. 



The majority of the party travelled from Edinburgh to 

 London on the evening of loth July. The following morning, 

 with increased numbers, the company proceeded via Folkestone 

 and Boulogne to Paris, where the night was spent. The stage 

 from Paris to Berne via Chaumont, Belfort and Basle occupied 

 the greater part of the next day. During this part of the 

 journey there was observed to be an almost complete absence 

 of forest in the country traversed, the only tree which was at 

 all in evidence being the poplar. This species does not form 

 woods, but occurs as single standards along hedgerows, river 

 banks and roads, and serves to break the monotony of an 

 otherwise dull landscape. Beyond Belfort, however, when the 

 region of the Vosges mountains was approached, the forest 

 became dominant and extensive tracts of coniferous woods 

 were passed through. We then arrived at the town of Basle, 

 which forms the frontier station of Switzerland. After a short 

 break here, the train was taken for Berne, where the head- 

 quarters of the Swiss Forest Department are found. Among 

 those who received the members of the party at the station 

 and accompanied them to the Hotel Bristol were Mr Clive, 

 Dr Fankhauser, and Herr Schonenberger. 



Sunday morning found us early astir, but in spite of that, time 

 did not allow us to do full justice perhaps to the various points 

 of vantage of the town of Berne. The town historically is 

 intensely interesting, and even to-day has quite a mediaeval 

 appearance since much of the ancient part is well preserved. 

 In addition, certain conditions are attached to the building of 



' For the names of the gentlemen who took part in the Excursion, see 

 page 119. 



