ON ESTABLISHING AN EXPERIMENTAL FOREST AREA, 167 
woodland areas already. In many other respects the absence of 
woods at the outset would detract from the educational value of the 
area for a considerable time, for it is obvious that the majority of 
sylvicultural operations cannot be practised until the plantations 
have reached a mature age. For these reasons we should strongly 
recommend the acquisition of an area a certain proportion of which 
is already under wood, and in a fit condition for demonstrative 
purposes. The exact age and composition of the woodland must 
be decided by circumstances, but at least one-fourth of the total 
area should be stocked, and preferably with timber between middle 
age and maturity, for reasons which will appear later on. All 
bridges, fences, and buildings of any kind which would add to the 
cost value of the estate, without being likely to prove of subsequent 
utility, would be undesirable features. The area should possess as 
many natural boundaries as possible, so that the cost of fencing 
may be reduced as much as possible; and it would also be an 
advantage to have it detached from land used for grazing cattle, as 
expensive fencing would not then be required. The land should 
be as compact as possible, without running out into narrow arms or 
projections, which would add to the boundary line without increasing 
the area to a proportionate extent. It is hardly likely that an area 
which fulfils all the above conditions will be readily obtained, 
although there ought to be no great difficulty in finding one which 
agrees in its most essential points with the one thus outlined. 
Equipment of the Area. 
Regarded as an institution for practical and theoretical instruction 
in forestry, the area could not be considered complete unless pro- 
vided with some accommodation for the delivery of short courses of 
lectures, a library and reading-room, museum, etc., while a forester’s 
house and other offices would also be necessary. The formation of 
a nursery would be an indispensable undertaking ; together with 
seed-kilns, store-houses, etc., all of which are necessary if forestry 
is to be taught in all its branches. Fences, gates, drains, etc., we 
may take for granted, but as their presence would be determined by 
circumstances, we need not specify them in detail. 
The lecture-rooms, etc., might be erected cheaply with timber 
and corrugated iron roofing, and match-boarded inside. If so 
constructed, they would be comparatively inexpensive, and would 
possess the advantage of being capable of easy replacement at a 
