REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY. 153 
considerable amount of time to it ; the result, I think, is before the 
Committee.”—“ This report, which is entitled ‘Colonial Timber : 
An Analysis of Returns in reply to queries relating to Colonial 
Timber, was prepared by you, was it not?” “ Yes.”—“It was 
presented to Parliament, and published as a Parliamentary Paper in 
the year 1878?” “It was.”—“It goes over a long range of subjects, 
and includes returns relating to the principal colonies ; the West 
Indian Islands amongst others?” ‘It deals with the whole of 
the British dependencies, with the exception of India.”—“ So it 
may be taken that we have elsewhere with regard to India the 
supplements with regard to the other dependencies of the Crown ?” 
“That is so ; it was, in fact, the first general view of the timber 
question as affecting the colonies that was presented. At another 
time I shall be happy to state how that publication arose.” 
** Did you hear the evidence given before the Committee to-day 
in reference to the institution of a forest school?” “TI did, 
some of it.’—‘“ Do you concur in that evidence?” “I con- 
cur entirely in the general advisability of instituting a forest 
school.” —“ And you have formed some opinions, I believe, as to the 
sources whence pupils would be drawn to such a school ; do you 
think it is likely there would be a considerable accession of pupils 
to such a school if opened on suitable terms, and in some central 
place in England?” ‘I think, perhaps, the best answer to that 
question is the number of land agency candidates whom we get in 
connection with our corporation examinations. Our examinations 
are held every year under three heads, chiefly land agency, chiefly 
valuation, and chiefly building ; the number of land agency can- 
didates we get is on the average from fifteen to eighteen a year, 
and the number is growing considerably. Examinations have only 
been instituted under the charter during the last five years ; the 
number of candidates is increasing almost every year, and I appre- 
hend that in time they will amount to a very considerable number. 
One of the subjects to which we attach great importance is the 
subject of forestry, upon which we have not only a written 
examination, but also a practical examination in the field ; it isa 
subject which we mark very high among our subjects of examina- 
tion, and it is one to which we desire to attach more and more im- 
portance as our system develops. I think in all probability a very 
large accession of numbers might be calculated upon from the land 
agency class, who are, after all, the class in this country the most 
interested in the question of forestry.”—“‘ Could you give the Com- 
