THE RIGHT HON. SIR RONALD MUNRO FERGUSON. 227 



office of Honorary Secretary, a post which he held with great 

 benefit to the Society and forestry, and with much acceptance 

 to his colleagues in the management of the Society's affairs, 

 till his appointment by His Majesty to the honourable position 

 already alluded to. 



Sir Ronald believed that example was more effective than 

 precept. While some were pointing out that Scottish foresters 

 were lacking in knowledge of scientific methods, he suggested 

 that instead of confining the Society's annual excursions to 

 home woods, occasional visits should be made abroad, and he 

 mentioned Germany as a suitable and easily accessible country 

 where correct silvicaltural methods could be studied. The 

 suggestion was immediately acted on, and the excursion to 

 Prussia in 1895 was carried out with most gratifying results. 

 It is hardly possible to exaggerate the importance to forestry 

 of this visit, but it may be confidently said that from that 

 date Scottish forestry, which for a time appears to have been 

 languishing somewhat, made a great forward movement which 

 has since been carefully fostered and maintained. 



Again, when there was much talk about the need for systematic 

 management, continuity of policy and such matters, he had a 

 working-plan drawn up for the woodlands on his Raith estate. 

 This plan, which was published in 1898, is understood to have 

 been the first regular working-plan put into operation in this 

 country. A similar working-plan for his Novar woods was 

 prepared and published two years later. His experiments in 

 underplanting at Novar were a revelation to the Society's 

 Foreign and Colonial guests, when they had the opportunity of 

 inspecting them during their recent tour in Scotland. 



Again, when there was a call for facilities to enable students 

 to take advantage of the higher education in forestry which 

 was available at Edinburgh University, he instituted at his 

 own expense what was known as the Raith Bursary of ^30 

 per annum, which was awarded each year to a young forester 

 selected on the recommendation of a small committee of the 

 Council and the then Lecturer on Forestry. This bursary he 

 continued for three years. 



In connection with the frequent deputations of the Society 

 to Ministers and Departments, and the preparation of the 

 numerous Resolutions passed by the Council and the Society, 

 Sir Ronald always took a leading part; and it was on his 



