540 EDITORIAL NOTES. [Jan. 



storms, is no doubt due to a large extent also the relatively less 

 variable temperature and higher atmospheric humidity. With 

 regard to the influence of forests on rain and snow fall, it would 

 appear that the conclusion arrived at is confirmatory of that generally 

 held, that it tends to increase both. But it is observed that the 

 increase obtains chiefly in the winter months, — a circumstance 

 ascribed partly to the clouds being lower at that season, and to the 

 resistance presented by the trees to the prevailing winds, thus leading 

 to heavy precipitation within their own area, and dispersion through 

 upper currents of the broken clouds to the open tracts beyond. 



A Strange Objection to the proposed Forestry School. — 

 Under this heading we took occasion in our November issue to 

 controvert the argument advanced by a writer in a contemporary, 

 that a School for Forestry would have the eftect of turning out pupils 

 only of pattern-like similarity. We had no thought of launching on 

 a discussion of such a simple issue, but left the writer in question 

 to account for the immense diversity of individual achievement 

 effected by professional and commercial men in their subsequent 

 career, who have received their education at the same school or 

 under the same system. We observe he makes an attempt to do 

 this in a recent issue of our contemporary — but to our mind signally 

 fails. He admits our argument, and yet endeavours to nullify the 

 conclusion to which it leads up. He says " it is implied that men 

 of gi-eat diversity of attainments are turned out from the same 

 school," and he somewhat grudgingly admits " that this sometimes 

 happens, as there are certain characters who will push their way, 

 however unfavourable their surroundings may be ; but as a rule, I 

 believe — I am now of course speaking of elementary schools — that 

 the school leaves its marks behind, and that there is often a great 

 similarity in the scholars educated under any particular regime" 

 Yes, certainly we readily admit the fact that the school leaves its 

 marks behind. It is a necessity of the relations that exist between 

 the master and pupils in any school, that the former should impress 

 the latter in one way or another. But we think the impressions are 

 as diverse as the pupils themselves, and range between the marks of 

 successfully trained intelligence, and the less advantageous but 

 equally appreciable marks of the " birch." We think all candid 

 observers will admit this general conclusion. But it is not quite so 

 easy to admit the ultimate bearing of the half-hearted admission 

 " that there are certain characters who will push their way, however 

 unfavourable their surroundings may be." We take it our friend 

 means by tliis statement to imply that the surroundings of schools 



