PREFACE. 



IN the spring of 1877 I published a brochure entitled : 

 The Schools of Forestry in Europe : a Plea for the Creation 

 of a School of Forestry in Connection with the Arboretum at 

 Edinburgh, in which I submitted for consideration the 

 opinion that with the acquisition of this Arboretum, and 

 with the existing arrangements for study in the Univer- 

 sity and in the Watt Institution and School of Arts, there 

 are required only facilities for the study of what is known 

 on the Continent as Forest Science to enable these 

 Institutions conjointly, or either of them with the help of 

 the other, to take a place amongst the most completely 

 equipped Schools of Forestry in Europe, and to under- 

 take the training of foresters for the discharge of such 

 duties as are now required of them in India, in our 

 Colonies, and at home. 



On the 15th of May, 1885, it was ordered by the House 

 of Commons that a Select Committee be appointed to 

 consider whether by the establishment of a Forest School 

 or otherwise our woodlands could be rendered more 

 remunerative. By this Committee valuable evidence was 

 collected, and on the 24th of July they agreed to the 

 following report : " Your Committee are of opinion that at 

 this late period of the session it will not be in their 

 power to conclude their investigation ; they have there- 



