NOTES ON FORESTRY IN RUSSIA.^ 



Education. The Imperial Forest Institute at St. Petersburg 

 was founded 110 years ago at the time the Russian Depart- 

 ment of Forestry was established. At this school, a great deal 

 of research and experimental work is carried on by foresters 

 and other scientists ; and the results are applied in the Depart- 

 ment of Forestry. The qualifications for an instructor are a 

 wide range of experience in forestry in Russia and the study 

 of forest conditions in other countries, preferably Germany, 

 France or the United States, for a period of at least one year. 

 Forest school graduates must spend one summer on a private or 

 national forest, engaged in investigative work, before they are 

 admitted as Forest Assistants. The requirements for the posi- 

 tion of Forest Supervisor are technical training, about five years' 

 experience as a Forest Assistant or a Deputy Supervisor, and the 

 construction of at least one working plan. 



Investigations. The investigative work is entirely carried on 

 by experiment stations with the exception of a portion of it 

 which is done at the Imperial Forest Institute. Forest Super- 

 visors and Forest Assistants attached to forests do not pretend 

 to carry on any of this work, but merely put into practice the 

 results obtained by investigators. 



There are twelve experiment stations in the country, all located 

 within easy access to a railroad station, this being considered 

 highly important. The average annual appropriation for an ex- 

 periment station is 10,000 rubles.- Each station is in charge of 

 a director with two or three assistants, and in addition to this 

 permanent force a number of students are added in the summer 

 time. 



The buildings at experiment stations are of a pretentious char- 

 acter. A 3,000 ruble house is provided for the director, and 

 smaller houses for the assistants with families. There are also 



' From conversation with M. Tkatchenko, member of Superior Forest 

 Special Committee of the Russian Department of Forestry. 



- 1 ruble^lOO copecks^$0.73. The ruble is practicall}^ of the same rela- 

 tive value with our dollar for commercial purposes. 



567 



