1888. | NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 33 
which are due to the forests, two dollars per acre is a pretty 
good profit. 
How does this compare with our 850,000 acres of State wood- 
land? ‘To be brief, the State has, up to this date, not only re- 
ceived no income from its woodlands, but has had to pay a hand- 
some sum every year for the honor of being possessor of such 
extensive forests. Now, gentlemen, the blame for this state of 
affairs does not fall upon the Legislature of our State, for Sec- 
tion 18 of the Act passed on May 15, 1885, contains the follow- 
ing provision : 
*¢'The Forest Commission shall take such measures as the De- 
partment of Public Instruction, the Regents of the University 
and the Forest Commission may approve for awakening an 
interest in behalf of forestry in the public schools, academies 
and colleges of the State, and of imparting some degree of 
elementary instruction upon this subject therein.” 
If this provision were carried out, the Empire State would 
inaugurate a new era in political economy, and would lay the 
foundation upon which to build the science of systematic forest- 
culture, as it would give rise to forest-schools. And experience 
teaches us that in all countries where profitable and systematic 
management of the forests has been successfully introduced, 
the first step to it was the establishment of schools of forestry. 
For men educated in such schools become not only fit for their 
vocation, but consider their position as a trust, and perform 
their duty to the government, not only impelled by their fealty 
to the public authorities, but by a professional sense which 
makes dear to them the forests given to their care and protec- 
tion. From unskilled hired men you cannot expect such a de- 
votion to. the interests of the position as is developed in a 
trained forester. ' 
Whether our public schools will be the proper places for awak- 
ening interest in behalf of forestry, we will leave out of this 
discussion ; but our agricultural colleges should consider it 
their duty to impart not only elementary, but full scientific in- 
formation upon this subject. At present it might be sufficient 
if only some one of our liberally endowed institutions should 
undertake this task. 
In Europe, colleges of agriculture and forestry are now gen- 
erally combined with the great universities, in order to give 
to the students of the special branches an opportunity for 
general scientific development. It requires two years of study 
to complete the forestry course alone. During the winter 
months, instruction is given in the several branches of forest- 
science ; while the summer months, after deducting some weeks 
for vacations, are employed in making excursions to places 
