Standardkafion of Instruction. 343 



2. Instruction for Forest Rangers, requiring merely a common 

 school education, and conducted mainly along thoroughly practi- 

 cal lines. 



3. General instruction in forestry supplementary to a course 

 in agriculture, and designed to assist owners in the handling of 

 their own woodlands. 



4. General course in conservation and forestry designed for 

 those who wish, as a part of their general education, to have some 

 information on the economic problems involved. 



The work of the educational conference held on December 28- 

 29, 191 1, was confined exclusively to formulating the require- 

 ments of the high grade professional course. The ranger schools 

 and the courses of a general educational character were discussed 

 to some extent, but no definite action was taken by the conference. 

 This report, therefore, deals exclusively with the standardization 

 of a course for advanced professional training. 



Need for High Standard in Forestry Education. The standard 

 of professional forestry training in this country, if it is to meet 

 the country's needs, must be high. The profession of forestry is 

 at present still in the process of formation and crystallization. 

 In his pioneer work, the professional forester will be called upon 

 not only to do a great variety of technical work, but also to de- 

 velop the science of forestry itself. To do this efficiently he must 

 be trained to develop methods of forest management suitable to 

 our conditions, to apply these methods to actual management, and 

 to educate the people to the need of forest management. The 

 development of far reaching policies in constructive management 

 of Government, State, and private forests will depend upon the 

 wisdom and foresight of the professional forester. Upon the 

 forest schools rests, therefore, the responsibility not only of 

 training men in technical forestry, but of creating a body of pro- 

 fessional men who can formulate the principles and do the con- 

 structive work required by our conditions. The rapidity with 

 which the science and practice of forestry develops, and the 

 quality of the work done, will depend on how the forest schools 

 meet their responsibility. 



Grade of the Institution. The educational requirements for 



