REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE OX FORESTRY. 147 



place for such land agents and bailiffs as would not go through the 

 whole course of study." — " Do you think that anything could be 

 done at Kew in connection with such classes V "I think that the 

 elementary training in botany and also instruction on all such 

 matters as diseases of timber and so on, could be arranged for there. 

 Furthermore, I believe that there is forming at Kew a large collec- 

 tion of instructive specimens illustrating injuries to timber produced 

 by fungi, insects, etc. ; and a study of such is essential to a sound 

 forestry education." — " Would it be possible to combine that train- 

 ing with the Cooper's Hill classes ? " "So far as botany is con- 

 cerned 1 believe that it is already arranged that the students at 

 Cooper's Hill will have some instruction in botany in the museums 

 and gardens at Kew, and this would be supplemented by the good 

 timber collection which has been got up at Kew." 



" Your view is, that the existing institutions should be profitably 

 utilised for the study of forestry 1 " " That is the first step. If 

 there was thereafter found to be a great demand for the study of 

 forestry, it would then be a question whether a forestry school other 

 than Cooper's Hill should not be established." — " Is it not rather a 

 cumbrous plan for a land agent first to have to go to the Agricultural 

 College at Cirencester to get his agricultural training, and then to 

 come up to London to get his forestry training in another place 1 " 

 " Yes." — " Would it not be more convenient to have the two things 

 taught in the same institution?" "Yes."- — "Is much theoretical 

 instruction necessary to a student in forestry 1" "I think that a 

 sound elementary acquaintance with five or six branches of science 

 would be very useful, but not more than a young man could pick 

 up at such a course of instruction as I should contemplate, and as 

 is, I believe, to be obtained at the Agricultural Colleges." — " What 

 branches of science would you suggest he should be acquainted 

 with 1 " "I should say meteorology especially ; and the organs 

 and tissues of plants, physiological botany, geology, and elementary 

 chemistry." — " You would recommend that only for a man of good 

 emoluments who was going to take a good position 1" " It would 

 be necessary for him, but it would be useful for all. I should be 

 inclined to have the instruction so arranged that all classes might 

 have an opportunity of obtaining some acquaintance with the 

 different branches of science concerned in forestry, so that if a 

 gentleman wished to send a young lad of ability, however poor he 

 might be, to study forestry, he might go through the elementary 

 courses first, and then, if he proved competent, he might go up for 



