THE TECHNICAL MAX's SHORTCOMINGS 379 



with applied science absolutely require a scientific personnel to carry 

 on the work. 



Coming down to present conditions upon our National Forests rela- 

 tive to our technical men and analyzing the situation from the stand- 

 point of the school, the Service, and the man: The first premise was 

 that the forestry schools were not giving the right kind of training, 

 Kneipp says that there are lots of things which the embryo forester 

 should know, but which he does not know when he takes his position. 

 Besides silvicultural management and other things which he learns in 

 school, he says there are many more important things which he does 

 not learn in school, such as matters connected with fire protection, the 

 construction of improvements, the management of human affairs, the 

 land laws, the grazing business, regulations, personnel, and organiza- 

 tion. Is this not the case with almost any profession one might choose 

 to name, as Professor Spring has pointed out? Doubtless the new 

 technical forester has some of the fundamental principles in these mat- 

 ters. If he is the right kind he can acquire the details as he goes along. 



It is important to give all possible credit to the forestry schools for 

 what they have done. The technical position is a relatively new one 

 and the forestry courses are also new. Both are in the process of de- 

 velopment and improvement. The position ten years ago made very 

 few demands compared with the large number of different demands it 

 makes today. Forestry courses are constantly changing to meet these 

 demands. Ten years ago who of us dreamed of forest investigations, 

 of land classification, of logging engineering, of forest engineering, and 

 a host of other matters now so important? And, to my knowledge, 

 most of the forestry schools have been making constant changes in 

 their curricula to meet these new demands. The result of this process 

 is that each crop of technical foresters is better equipped than the one 

 before. 



It is also important to realize that all that the forestry schools can do 

 is to teach general principles and point out the right road to travel. 

 They have neither the time, the facilities, nor the means to hire the 

 instructor to teach the prospective forester the many diversified things 

 which he must know for his work on the National Forests. Forest 

 schools do not pretend to turn out foresters ; they turn out men who 

 have certain tools and equipment, which if properly used in coimcction 

 with certain important personal qualifications will gradually make for- 

 esters. Therefore, as in all professions, vocations, and trades, some 

 men. no matter what their training, are bound not to find the work 

 congenial. It is not within the scope of the forestry school to .say who 

 shall be a forester and who shall not. 



