94 THE MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



tliat it i-s inflected at all until we begin the study of German or some 

 other highly inflected language. After having had to deal with some 

 of these our own language becomes more intelligible to us. 



Therefore, I would place the study of language early among the re- 

 quirements for the professional forester, because it is one of the main 

 roots that are to support his professional tree. 



Mathematics one must have, and the more one has the more readily and 

 accurately will the professional, forester be able to keep records and com- 

 pute volumes and distances. Mathematics should extend through 

 trigonometry and surveying at least. " , 



A knowledge of plants is indispensable. Forestry is a form of ap- 

 plied botany. Botany is another of the main roots that are to support 

 the professional's tree. Systematic botany is of first importance, but there 

 is no phase of the subject that can well be omitted. The men who have 

 gone into the field well acquainted with the manipulation of a synoptical 

 key have had easy sailing as compared with those who are poorly pre- 

 pared in this branch of science. 



I am sure that it is not necessary for me to enumerate here the various 

 other branches of science that should be studied in order to give a lib- 

 eral education. One should be able to read with reasonable accuracy the 

 geological history of the field in which he happens to be working. A 

 student once offered an apology to a professor of geology for not having 

 read more authors on the subject. With a wave of the hand toward 

 the surrounding region the professor said, "this is what you ought to 

 read." 



In addition to all these requirements the professional forester should 

 have a knowledge of business principles. Forestry in its proper sense 

 does not lend itself readily to the small holder but to the owner of 

 large estates, corporations, municipalities, commonwealths, or govern- 

 ments where large amounts of capital and long periods of time are 

 involved, so that the person who is accustomed to deal only with petty 

 accounts is lost when it comes to these larger considerations. 



The Southern Long-leaf Pine spends the first seven to nine years in 

 getting a good strong hold in the ground before it begins to make much 

 stem growth. It would be impossible for the tree to flourish as well as 

 it does if this were not the case. Can we not apply this to the prepara- 

 tion for the business of forestry? Spend a few years in getting a good 

 strong hold, neglecting not the small details nor the leading require- 

 ments, before considering that we are able to meet the demands of the 

 profession. Progress will be about in proportion to the preparation that 

 has been made. 



It is not to be expected that everything can be gained in a college or 

 university course of thirty-six months, yet a severe and a careful sifting 

 of subjects will accomplish much. Additional time and experience will 

 round out the man. 

 E. E. BoGUE, M. S., Professor of Forestry, 



Department of Forestry, Agricultural College. 



