TfjS The Jotirnal of Forestry. 



various operations of forestry, and the nietliucls found most suitable in 

 the different localities, comparing notes of each other's experience, and 

 giving and receiving information upon a multitude of topics of the 

 greatest interest to foresters. By such means a healthy emulation is 

 excited amongst them, their professional knowledge extended, and 

 their ideas and abilities invigorated, so that they return to their 

 duties with refreshed energies, and a determination to adopt only the 

 best and most approved methods of forestal operations suited to the 

 locality and circumstances in which they are placed, and which must 

 ultimately result in a vastly improved system of management of the 

 woods and plantations of the country, and the greatly increased pi'otits 

 realized to the proprietors, besides adding immensely to the prosperity 

 a]id amenity of the country in general. 



When a few days only can be spared, neighbouring estates should 

 first be visited, and the woodlands upon them carefully inspected, as 

 they are most likely to afford many points of interest peculiar to the 

 district, which the intelligent forester will study with advantage and 

 may find suitable for adoption or improving upon at home. When 

 a week or two can be devoted to an arboricultural tour, it will naturally 

 extend to more distant parts of the country, and embrace visits to the 

 more celebrated of the forest and ornamental nurseries, botanic 

 gardens, public parks, &c.^ where an intelligent and observant man 

 will always find niuch to interest and instruct him. AVhether the 

 time at the disposal of the arboriculturist be long or short, his journey 

 should always be so adjusted as to give him ample time and oppor- 

 tunity to gather all the useful information which can readily be 

 obtained from each place visited, as nothing can be less profitable 

 than mere " sight-seeing," when adequate time is not taken to fully 

 understand and mentally digest whatever objects of interest are 

 presented to our view. 



It is scarcely necessary for us to express an opinion upon the 

 advantages to our foresters if they had an opportunity given them 

 to visit the celebrated Forest Schools of Germany, France, and other 

 enterprising European States, and to inspect the vast natural forests 

 of those countries, until such times as a vigorous spirit of profes- 

 sional inquiry is stirred up and exhibited amongst them, and their 

 employers see it is to their interest, and deem it their duty, to 

 encourage and foster a taste for improvement and a general knowledge 

 of the best systems of forestry, when a tour through the continental 

 forests will become more common than a trip through our home forests 

 and plantations is at the present day. 



