122 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



"The effect of this decision is to debar individual landowners 

 from taking part in any scheme of afforestation except on the 

 condition, which must be prohibitive to all but a very small 

 minority, of meeting the whole of the initial cost from their 

 private resources. 



" We cannot suppose that the decision has been arrived at 

 without mature consideration, or without consulting the highest 

 legal authority in interpretation of the Act of Parliament 

 constituting the Development Fund, and therefore what I shall 

 have to say must be regarded not as criticism of the action of 

 the Commissioners, but rather of the limited powers conferred 

 upon them by Parliament. 



" This said, we are free to point out the very unfortunate results 

 of the decision. 



" In the first place, we may doubt the power of the Development 

 Commissioners to prevent private individuals from benefiting by 

 the advances made from the Fund for other purposes, such as, 

 for example, the improvement of the breed of horses or of cattle : 

 indeed if the improvement is to benefit the country at all, it must 

 begin by conferring a private advantage on the breeders of stock. 

 It is difficult to see the difference m principle between a benefit 

 from the Development Fund to a stock breeder, and an advance 

 for planting expenses to a landowner — except, perhaps, that the 

 stock breeder gets his benefit here and now, and that the planter 

 must wait for thirty or forty years for any return. 



"We are driven to the conclusion that the Act under which the 

 Commissioners hold their powers, discriminates against afforesta- 

 tion as compared with the improvement of stock, and that 

 appears to me to be a very unfortunate state of affairs, which 

 our Society should do its best to alter. 



" Let us consider for a moment the effect of this notice, that 

 ' No landowner need apply,' on the future of afforestation. 



"There are two axioms which will command the assent of most 

 of those who have given special consideration to the problem of 

 introducing a large scheme of afforestation into Scotland, 

 (i) That such a scheme must accommodate itself to existing 

 interests and local conditions, and (2) that it must be as compre- 

 hensive as possible. 



" That is to say, the scheme must aim at making willing helpers 

 of those who are affected by it, and with this end in view, it must 

 give just and fair compensation for any temporary or permanent 



