FORESTRY IN JAPAN. 97 



and measures were undertaken to regulate their exploitation. 

 The area of forest actually surveyed is 14,685 square miles ; 

 and the area for which, up to the end of 1907, working-plans 

 had been drawn up was 4894 square miles. 



Although some of the privately-owned forests are efficiently 

 managed, the great majority of them are not. But the 

 State now encourages private proprietors by giving them 

 seeds or seedlings, free of charge, and public bodies may be 

 assisted by grants of money ; the State also establishes model 

 forests and nurseries, and provides courses of lectures in 

 important centres. Control over private forests is secured by 

 the Forest Law of 1897, and expert officials are employed to 

 supervise all State-aided work. Progress has kept pace with 

 the increase of facilities afforded by the State for the 

 learning of systematic forestry, and private proprietors are 

 now beginning to follow rational methods of management. 

 Exceptional merit in forest development is publicly recognised. 



In 1882 there was but a single forest school, but now there 

 are no less than forty-seven of such institutions. Two of these 

 are special forest schools attached to universities, four are 

 attached to agricultural and forest colleges, while forty- one 

 form departments of Industrial schools of higher or of lower 

 grade. These institutions, together, have turned out 1325 

 graduates. There are also Industrial Auxiliary schools, at 

 some of which forestry is taught, and thirty public agricultural 

 schools give some lessons in forestry, though they have not 

 organised regular courses in the subject. 



Scientifically conducted investigations and experiments were 

 first undertaken in the year 1878, at a State experimental 

 station situated in the suburbs of Tokyo, and in connection 

 with it thirty-six acres of land were purchased. But systematic 

 experimental work is also carried on in four specially selected 

 divisions of the State forests, it having been found expedient 

 to conduct certain classes of investigations locally. 



But it soon became evident that the forest industry could 

 not be adequately developed by the State alone, and no less 

 than twenty forest associations or societies have been formed 

 in various parts of the country, some of them being 

 subsidised by the local governments. The most prosperous 

 of these is the Japan Forest Association, which was founded 

 in 1882, and, with a Prince of the Blood as its president, now 



VOL, XXIV. PART I. G 



