FORESTRY EDUCATION. 103 
a living thing, the first step to be taken should be to place the 
principal Crown forests under systematic economic management. 
In making this proposal, both Sir D. Brandis and myself had 
in our minds’ eye the idea that such a step would be beneficial, 
not only for the candidates of the Indian Forest Department, 
but also for students who wished to devote themselves to the 
management of forests in this country and in the colonies. 
However, for the second time, no notice was taken of the pro- 
posal, and a start was ordered to be made at Coopers Hill 
without proper training grounds in this country. When I was 
subsequently deputed to organise the forestry branch at Coopers 
Hill College, I had no choice but to propose that our students 
should go to the Continent for the principal part of their practical 
training. Gradually the arrangements were perfected, and they 
are now as follows :— 
ARRANGEMENTS AT Coopers HILL. 
1, The students join the College in September, and remain 
under tuition for three years, divided into nine terms. 
2. During the first seven terms they study at the College, 
being instructed in the auxiliary sciences, including Botany, and 
in the theory of forestry. During this time they visit all in 
teresting forests in the vicinity of the College, one day a week 
being set aside for this purpose, and at the close of the first vear 
they are taken for a fortnight to Brittany, principally to study 
the treatment of beech and oak woods, partly pure, but chiefly 
mixed with each other. In this way we enable the students to 
follow and understand the study of the theory of forestry. At the 
end of seven terms, the students are sent to Germany and placed, 
in batches of two, with specially selected Prussian forest officers, 
under whom they work for five months, so as to see and learn to 
understand all the operations carried on in a well-arranged and 
well-managed forest district. Then they are all brought together, 
and under the guidance, until lately of Sir D. Brandis, and now 
of myself, they visit a selected number of specially interesting 
forest districts in South Germany. After that they are con-— 
sidered fit to be sent to India, and to enter the forest service of 
that country. 
In arranging this course of study, we were guided by the 
following considerations:—(1) Theoretical and practical training 
