No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 511 



tliirtv-sc'Vfii [tat lent s of whom ei^ht have been discharj;(*d. cured; 

 and there remain seven more so positively benefited that they may 

 practically be considered as cured or, at least, so nearly cured as to 

 be able to earn their living by some outdoor vocation. We have 

 had our disappointments. No location, no system of medical treat- 

 ment, no hygienic rules will forever and in all cases produce bene- 

 ficial results. The primal fact remains that men are born to die. 

 We may, however, claim, and this is our only contention, that what- 

 ever is possible in the way of restoration of health of an invalid in 

 the mountains of Colorado, is possible also in the mountains of 

 Pennsylvania. The importance of this movement to the thousands 

 of tuberculosis patients in this Commonwealth, who are unable to 

 visit distant health resorts, is unspeakable. This work is in but its 

 infancy; every consideration of statesmanship and of humanity, 

 both to the sufferer and to those to whom he might communicate 

 the disease, demands that this work. so. auspiciously inaugurated, 

 should go on and be extended, until in every county in the State 

 there will be found some place where those afflicted with the dis- 

 ease may go, entertaining a reasonable hope of restoration to health. 

 It has seemed to the chairman of your forestry committee, with- 

 out any disparagement to the good colleges and schools of forestry 

 which are already in existence, that there remained room for one 

 more upon somewhat different lines. Presenting his views to the 

 last General Assembly in the form of a bill, he was authorized to 

 purchase, or erect, suitable buildings for the purpose of training 

 State foresters. It is unfortunate that so little attention has 

 hitherto been given to what may be called practical woodcraft. It 

 is, of all accjuirements in connection with forestry, the one most 

 difficult to obtain. Whilst it is true that the real, good woods- 

 man is a creation possessed of innate comprehension of woods and 

 water, science and experience, may to a certain extent, supplement 

 natural shortcomings. It is, nevertheless, equally true that there 

 are thousands of our estimable citizens who never can become gifted 

 as woodsmen. Forestry, without woodcraft possesses but one arm. 

 The object of our humble educational effort is, first of all, to make 

 men at home in the woods; second, to instruct them, not only in 

 their duties as foresters, but enable them to do, themselves, an 

 honest, whole day's work in any branch of forestry. No man can 

 be adjudged a fit person to place in charge of a gang of workingmen 

 unless he himself knows what a day's work is and how to do it. The 

 object of the school then is to train men to do any branch of forestry 

 work, and to furnish them with an education sufficient to enable 

 them to do this successfully, as judged by the standard of a scien- 

 tific forester. It is estimated that about one-half the time of our 

 fifteen students is devoted to studv. and one-half to actual work. 



