FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 6l 



THE FUTURE. 



Within the past decade tremendous strides have been made in 

 the progress of forestry in the United States, and this in turn 

 has placed an increased responsibihty on the technically trained 

 men. This will necessitate better preparation at the schools of 

 forestry. The standard of the work at the University has been 

 steadily and materially raised and as many additional subjects 

 have been added to the curriculum as the existing circumstances 

 would permit, yet our progress is not commensurate with the 

 development of forestry nor with the higher standard of require- 

 ments which the work now demands. 



In the curriculum itself, more field-work is needed, that is ac- 

 tual forestry work in the woods under the supervision of com- 

 petent instructors. To accomplish this, more money is needed 

 for it is impossible for one man to give the whole course at the 

 University, attend to all correspondence, give outside lectures 

 and make examinations, and at the same time conduct a field- 

 party in the woods. We must have the practical work in the 

 woods to make the department what it should be, and what all 

 the good friends of forestry in this state would have it, if they 

 could only be made to realize, in time, the exact conditions. 



What we need at once is an annual appropriation of not less 

 than $5000 to put the work on the proper basis. Besides this we 

 would like to have a permanent endowment fund for the for- 

 estry course started in this state. Most all of the forestry de- 

 partments in other Universities have large permanent endow- 

 ments, and there is no good reason, if the matter is taken up in the 

 proper way, why this department should not have at least $100,- 

 000 or more as a permanent fund, the interest from which could 

 be used for the proper equipment and maintenance of a strictly 

 first-class forest school such as would worthily represent the 

 Pine Tree State. 



There is no state in the Union that offers better natural facili- 

 ties for such a school, and besides this, the vast amount of land 

 that is, and for the most part always will be true forest land, 

 makes it necessary that steps be taken in time to provide a body 

 of technically trained men who will be able to satisfactorily solve 

 the many problems that arise as to the proper utilization and 

 management of "the Maine woods." 



The forests of Maine have been the source of many millions 



