386 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



climates and drainage conditions. Scientific principles were to be 

 applied at every point, "rotation" of timber crops introduced, and 

 the defects of the French system remedied. But under the new sys- 

 tem the forests miofht no long-er be managed by land-owners and 

 lumbermen, but bj' a trained army of forest experts; and there must 

 be schools in which to train this army, Cotta set himself to the 

 task. In 1811, he founded the first public forestry school at Tharand, 

 in SaxonJ^ Fro:n Tharand, the mother school, went forth the foun- 

 ders of the schools which in the next few years sprang- up all over 

 Europe; first in Germany, then in Russia, Austria, France, Switzer- 

 land and most of the other countries. Russia has four schools, one 

 of them located on the arid steppe, which the government is trying 

 in some measure to forest. Austria has nine government schools 

 and over eightj^ private schools. Even bankrupt Spain and Italy 

 have one each. Only England, Turkey and some of the fourth class 

 powers are without them. 



FORESTRY EDUCATION, 



And now as to the education imparted at these schools. Take the 

 mother school of Tharand as a good example, and what I say of it 

 will apply in general to most of the other forestry schools of Eu- 

 rope. 



He who seeks admission as a student must be a graduate of a 

 German high school, and must have spent at least six months in 

 the service as a forest guard. Then he is admitted to a course of 

 study covering two and one-half years. The studies pursued are 

 divided into three groups; fundamental sciences, professional 

 sciences and additional sciences. 



I. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCES. 



Under the head of fundamental sciences, he is taught the appli- 

 cation of the physical and inathematical sciences to forestry. 



Applied chemistry teaches him of the chemical composition of 

 forest soils, the chemical changes occurring in the growth and de- 

 cay of trees, and the engredients needed by different varieties. Ap- 

 plied minerology teaches him to distinguish the different minerals 

 which enter into forest soil; while applied botany introduces him 

 to the special botany of forest trees. In applied zo<">logy the stu- 

 dent learns of the various beasts and birds inhabiting the Saxon 

 forests, both useful and injurious; the useful part which some in- 

 sects play in the formation of forest mould and in the destruction of 

 decaying wood and obnoxious vegetation; and,on the other hand, he 

 studies the insects injurious to timber and the approved methods 

 of destroying them. 



That the forester may not be tempted to leave the lonely forest 

 and return to the gay world, the student is taught all the secrets of 

 the chase and the huntsman's art, how to use and care for the hound 

 and ritle. And lastly, in applied meteorology, the elements of cli- 

 mate upon forest growth, and the climatic influence of forests upon 



