Forest School and Education of Forester. 19 



in the welfare of the entire country, and which is attracting atten- 

 tion from everyone. Professions now well established have gone 

 through the same stages in their development, and we need not 

 worry as to the outcome in forestry. And all of this not as a 

 criticism, but a pointing towards sources of danger in the devel- 

 opment of trained foresters. There is no question but that we 

 would be many years behind the present splendid development had 

 not persistent interest been taken in forestry by engineers, agri- 

 culturists, botanists and horticulturists. 



Already educational work in forestry has developed far enough 

 to allow some suggestions as to the future. It is probable that 

 there will be two main classes of men with a possible third class 

 demanded in the future of forestry in this country. First, the 

 forest ranger or woods superintendent, whose training will be 

 largely along practical lines ; second, the technical forester, who 

 will plan and carry out the management of large forest areas and 

 guide to a large degree the work of the forest ranger and do the 

 investigative and administrative work demanded, and finally a 

 group of men dealing with the educational problems. This last 

 group must of necessity be drawn from the technically trained 

 foresters, but their training should be as continuous and advanced 

 as possible. 



In line with the demands of the profession there probably will 

 be developed three classes of forest schools: First, the rangers 

 school or academy, which plays an important part in the training 

 of old world foresters, and which is especially fitted to prepare 

 men who have not the requisite training to enter more advanced 

 schools for positions as forest managers and rangers. The more 

 advanced schools will draw upon these schools for students, for 

 there will always be many who will wish to take more technical 

 courses because of inspiration received in the elementary schools. 

 I was very much impressed with this while giving a short course 

 in forestry for rangers at the Colorado Agricultural College, in 

 February, 1907. There were some thirty men whose schooling 

 ranged from a few months during two or three winters to four 

 years in some of our leading universities. The training given in 

 the short course was, of necessity, very elementary in nature, and 

 yet the eagerness of the men seemed to show a great need for the 

 training of men for work on our National Forests. The estab- 

 lishment of a ranger's course of nine weeks at Colorado College, 



