130 FOBESTBY THE PIONEER OF AGBICULTDBE. [Dec, 



far exceeded man's wants. There was more than enough to meet his 

 requirements. So far as I can learn, there never was a time in 

 the world's history in which there were such strong indications 

 as at present that we are rapidly approaching a time when this 

 'want will be generally felt, and as such must be provided 

 for. Some people may say that the present prices of timber 

 do not indicate the likelihood of any approaching dearth of 

 timber, which I admit at once ; but it is easily accounted for by the 

 fact that greater facilities are yearly obtained for bringing timber 

 from the interior of timber producing countries to the seaboard for 

 shipment. The lumberman goes on felling trees and selling at such 

 prices as he can realise, and so long as there are trees available on 

 which he can ply his axe this state of things will to a considerable ex- 

 tent prevail, until we some day learn that the stock of growing timber 

 in these countries is practically exhausted. Having endeavoured 

 to demonstrate what an important element forestry is now, and that 

 it must be infinitely more so in the future in affecting the neces- 

 sities and comforts of man, does it not behove us to see well to it that 

 our foresters shall not be superseded by foresters of other nationalities. 

 I think this a very necessary consideration, especially so as even now 

 some of the best and most remunerative colonial appointments are not 

 held by Englishmen, nor by Scotchmen, but by Frenchmen, which is 

 attributable, I fear, to the fact that sufficient attention is not, nor has 

 not, been paid to the education of our foresters in forestry. If forestry 

 is so important a branch of industry, and so much depends upon it as 

 I have but indifferently set forth, ought not every facility to be given 

 and made available for the general development of a thoroughly prac- 

 tical and technical knowledge of this science, which, T think, would be 

 promoted and fostered by schools of forestry, prize essays, and the like, 

 bearing directly on the question ? I do not for a moment wish it to be 

 supposed that I imply that our foresters are not an able, practical class 

 of men ; quite the contrary. 1 believe them to be most practical, and 

 to have a very good general knowledge of their profession. What I com- 

 plain of is that so little general knowledge of forestry is attempted to 

 be diffused by our various systems and educational schemes, and this 

 is what I wish to see remedied. Why should forestry not be recognised 

 as important a branch of our general system of education as the many 

 other sciences that are introduced into it. The theoretical know- 

 ledge of how to measure a tree is about all that a young man, under 

 present circumstances, leaving school or college, knows of forestry. In 

 short, I maintain that forestry will soon become one of our most im- 

 portant branches of science and industry, and as such I wish to en- 

 force the necessity of extended facilities for the general attainment of 

 a fuUer knowledge of its several applications. The exhibition of 



