8o TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



obstacles to afforestation in Scotland. I have once or twice 

 started small campaigns on my own account in newspapers on 

 the subject, and with a certain amount of backing. I do not 

 much like compulsion, although in your address you have pre- 

 pared the way for our accepting it, but I am afraid there must be 

 a little compulsion as regards rabbits. Large landowners in 

 Scotland are able to protect themselves fairly well from rabbits, 

 but we have to consider the smaller landowners who are at the 

 mercy of their neighbours. If they are to do anything in planting, 

 they must get some protection and some assistance, and I wish 

 to suggest that if you think it should be remitted to the Council 

 for consideration as to whether some general basis for the 

 preparation of an afforestation scheme might be adopted, this 

 question of rabbits might also be specially considered. It might 

 be possible, without treading on people's toes too much, to propose 

 that, say, the Board of Agriculture should be given power to 

 proclaim a district as a rabbit-infested area, and there to employ 

 rabbit catchers to keep down the rabbits. I hope that is not too 

 radical a suggestion. It would mean power of course to go all 

 over the district, that is to say, if the proprietors did not see their 

 way themselves to kill down the rabbits and make it unneces- 

 sary to employ a public trapper." 



Mr Robert Lumsden, Edinburgh. — " Mr Spiers has touched 

 on a point which may be overlooked — the labour question. 

 Would it not be quite within the sphere of the Society to make 

 a representation to the proper authorities to point out that the 

 output of home wood can be materially increased if it were 

 possible either to arrange for men, who are practical workmen, 

 coming back from the army, or to bring men over from Ireland 

 from some of the places where they are not cutting wood." 



Sir John Dewar. — " I do not understand this complaint, 

 because wood cutting and labour in connection with home-grown 

 wood is a reserved occupation. The men engaged in that are 

 exempted — they are attested, but they are not called on for 

 service. If woodmen are engaged on Government work, the 

 Government are prepared to bring these men back to help the 

 carrying on of at least Government work," 



Mr Spiers. — " My men went away before." 



Sir John Dewar. — " They may prefer the trenches to cutting 

 wood." 



Mr Spiers — " I think I could get some back." 



