382 Forestry Quarterly, 



perience necessary to enable him to apply with judgment and self- 

 confidence his knowledge to varying conditions. Lumbering is 

 unique only in that the principles underlying it have not been 

 systematized either in theory or practice. 



The difficulty in teaching lumbering has not been so much a 

 question of the ground to be covered as a question of method of 

 instruction. Most of our schools are not located in the woods, 

 but at a university. Under such circumstances it is difficult to 

 synchronize the class and field work. Ordinarily there is a course 

 Df theoretical instruction by class work, assigned reading, and 

 special theoretical problems to lay the foundation in the principles 

 of lumbering; then later on, the students are taken into the lumber 

 woods and given systematic practical work. The theoretical in- 

 struction can do but little more than acquaint the student with the 

 different problems, the general methods of logging, and manu- 

 facture, the factors which influence the choice and use of logging 

 methods, the principles underlying the determination of the cost 

 of lumbering operations, problems of markets, a determination of 

 stumpage values, the conduct of lumber sales, etc. 



In the field of instruction, the aim should be to thoroughly fix 

 these principles by special practical application. Frequently there 

 is an effort to cover too much ground and to take into consider- 

 ation too many widely diversified conditions in the course in 

 lumbering. The student should in his field work master the 

 problems in some one operation. It is a great deal more impor- 

 tant that he have a thorough knowledge of some one logging ope- 

 ration than a superficial knowledge of how logging is carried on 

 all over the country. With a thorough local knowledge the stu- 

 dent has a basis upon which to build in the application of princi- 

 ples under other conditions. 



It would be of great advantage if the course in lumbering could 

 be preceded by a course in the construction, operation, compara- 

 tive efficiency, cost, and maintenance of various types of steam, 

 gas, and electric machinery ; types of power transmission, their 

 operation, strength, relative cost and efficiency; materials of con- 

 struction, their strength, cost, and relative efficiency in various 

 types of construction ; and the design and construction of simple 

 structures, trestles, foundations, flumes, etc. Such a course 

 should not attempt to give the student of forestry the difficult 



