Ranger Courses. 149 



peal to them because it is practical. This denotes a wholesome 

 eagerness to acquire some elements of well balanced forestry, a 

 non-temporizing spirit which is one of the essentials of forest 

 work. 



The Forest Service has always done its share in furloughing or 

 assigning men to give instruction in applied forestry. With this 

 broad attitude I heartily concur, and am convinced that in short 

 courses, particularly, it is indispensable ; for a man familiar with 

 government work is far better able to realize the needs of both 

 the Service and the men, and to emphasize the salient points and 

 the necessary details. Without loss of time and from the view- 

 point of experience, he is able to link together the theory and 

 practice which is paramount in a short course, and in a manner 

 impossible for one not familiar with Forest Service requirements. 



But further than this the Service has not yet gone. When the 

 government needs specially trained men for the Army or Navy, 

 it enlists them as students, under pay, and educates them to fill 

 the specialized duties of officers. Some corporations and munici- 

 palities do the same for their employees, and find that they are 

 thus able to build up a corps of experts, obtainable by no other 

 manner. 



Any money that the government could spend in reimbursing 

 the expenses of a promising ranger would most certainly make 

 good return in the higher efficiency of the man. 



To attend a ranger course may involve an almost prohibitory 

 sacrifice in many cases ; two — three hundred dollars loss of 

 salary, and about half that for expenses, is a fair estimate based 

 on actual figures. A furlough on part pay might readily make 

 the difference between attendance and non-attendance, and this 

 small encouragement is insignificant in comparison to the re- 

 sults obtainable from it. The expenditure for a single incorrect 

 survey may run as high as forty dollars ; yet a man, after even a 

 three months' course, should be able to check his work by lati- 

 tudes and departures before ever leaving the ground. 



The cost of a small, poorly managed timber sale may be ex- 

 cessive, considered in the light of future demands on the Forest, 

 but a ranger should be well fitted to handle such a sale after con- 

 scientious application at some good school. 



It is not the object of this article to attempt to outline a system 

 of study, for the application of the principles would vary some- 



