673 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



are willing and able to establish complete systems should frame such 

 schemes with a view to combining for meeting the needs of those parts 

 which can only themselves make a partial provision for their require- 

 ments. 



Much of the discussion and of the committee's report revolved about 

 the most feasible method of meeting the requirements of the Indian 

 Forest Service for the training of its probationers, though the needs 

 of the United Kingdom also received much consideration. It is to the 

 credit of the Government of India that after training probationers in 

 various Continental schools, the first real steps were taken in Eng- 

 land by instituting at Cooper's Hill College in 1885 special courses of 

 instruction for Indian forest probationers. Twenty years later, on the 

 closure of the college, the Oxford University Forest School was 

 established. Meanwhile other universities had set on foot somewhat 

 similar institutions, and eventually, about 1909, the Indian forest pro- 

 bationers were divided among the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, 

 and Edinburgh, and this is the method in force at the present time. 

 While some excellent results have followed, it is generally recognized 

 that the existing arrangement is not satisfactory. Since India will 

 require about 40 per cent of the forestry officers likely to be trained 

 in the near future, the importance of avoiding another false start in 

 educational matters is fully recognized. 



The conclusion is that there should be one institution for training 

 forest officers, to be established in the United Kingdom, and uncon- 

 nected with any universities. This, however, is possible only with the 

 fullest support of India and the Colonies. The students at this insti- 

 tution should be selected from graduates who have taken honors in 

 pure or natural science at any recognized university. It should be an 

 integral part of the work of the institution to arrange supplementary 

 courses at suitable centers for students requiring special qualifications 

 and also special courses for forest officers from any part of the Empire, 

 whether at the institution itself or at centers of training in other parts 

 of the world. The Governments should recognize these courses as part 

 of the ordinary duties of the forest officer, at any time during their 

 service, and the Governments concerned should give special facilities 

 to forest officers in their service to attend such courses. 



The committee report recommends also that a Department of Re- 

 search into the formation, tending and protection of forests be associ- 

 ated with the training institution ; also that encouragement be given 

 the existing provision made by universities and colleges for forestry 



