52 Forestry Quarterly. 



cessful they are eligible for Forster places as vacancies occur. In 

 the meanwhile they are employed as Hilfsjager (Forest Guard) 

 on a per diem basis; later as Forstaufseher (Assistant Ranger) 

 on a per mensem basis. A Hilfsjager or Forstaufseher is usually 

 assigned as assistant to some old and experienced ranger. The 

 years which follow are in the nature of a second apprenticeship. 

 Promotion to a position of responsibility is slow ; at thirty-five he 

 may be a Forster ohne Revier (Ranger without district) ; he is 

 usually forty years old before he becomes a fullfledged Forster 

 (Ranger) and has his definite Revier (District) and own Forst- 

 haus (Ranger Station). Some years later his grey beard may 

 win him the honorable title of Hegemeister but here his "cursus 

 honorum" usually ends. Some four per cent, rise to be Revier 

 forster (District Ranger) with wider responsibilities because of 

 outlying districts. Two or three of them become "verwaltende 

 Revierforster", i. e. have practically the authority of an Ober- 

 forster on a Revier too small to warrant employing an Ober- 

 forster. The Ranger is pensioned at the age of 65 with three- 

 fourths pay. His salary has grown from 65^ cents per day as 

 Hilfsjager to $26.78 per month as Forstaufseher, to from $333 

 to $600 per year as Forster and a possible maximum of $787.55 

 per year as Revierforster.* However this meager sum is offset 

 by the very substantial emoluments of free house and garden, 

 certain hunting privileges, and the certainty of continuous service 

 with a comfortable pension in old age. There are at present 5,151 

 rangers (Forster) in the Prussian service. 



Some years ago the Forest Service of the United States in- 

 augurated ranger schools in the several Western Districts. 

 Unfortunately, these schools had to be discontinued ; their early 

 resumption is earnestly to be desired. Education along technical 

 lines is as essential for the ranger as for his superior officer. 

 Even if our system precludes "catching them young", they should 

 receive systematic schooling after having served a practical ap- 

 prenticeship as Forest Guards. This training which should 

 extend over at least two months can best be given at permanent 

 Ranger Schools situated very near (preferably in) important 

 forests, by qualified men from the technical branch of the Ser- 

 vice. Even if the government can not defray the salary and ex- 



*An additional 10% is paid in the Eastern Provinces as "Ostmarken- 

 zulagen" because of higher cost of living there. 



