Science and Teaching of Forestry. 



Bavaria. In the Austrian empire the chief schools are at Marienbrunn near 

 Vienna, and at Schemnitzin Hungary. In Russia there are four chief schools, 

 Bvois in Finland, Nova Alexandria in Poland, Peteroffsky near Moscow, 

 and Berdiansk on the sea of Azoff. Sweden has a State school at Stock- 

 holm ; Denmark one at Copenhagen. In Spain there is a school in the 

 Escorial ; in Italy one at Vallombrosa in Tuscany ; and even Roumania 

 has recently established one. In the United States, owing to the energy of 

 Dr. Hough, the Government have decided on the necessity of establishing 

 such a school. In Great Britain, the state that is richer in forests than 

 any other in the world, there is no proper provision for the teaching of 

 forestry. 



From the representations of Humboldt and others, the British Association 

 in 1851 adopted the following conclusions : 



" 1. That over large portions of the globe there is still an almost un- 

 controlled destruction of the indigenous forests in progress, from the waste- 

 ful habits of the population. 



"2. That where conservancy has been introduced, considerable improve- 

 ment has already taken place. 



"3. That these improvements may be extended by a rigid enforcement of 

 the present regulations, and the enactment of additional provisions of the 

 following character, viz., careful maintenance of the forest by valuation, 

 surveys and working plans, and by the preservation or plantation of seed- 

 lings in place of mature trees removed, nurseries being established ; pro- 

 hibition of cutting until trees are well grown, with rare and special excep- 

 tions for peculiar purposes. 



" 4. That especial attention should be given to the preservation and 

 maintenance of forests occupying tracts unsuited for other culture, whether 

 by reason of altitude or peculiarities of physical structure. 



" 5. That in a country to which the maintenance of its water supplies is of 

 extreme importance, the indiscriminate clearing of forests around the 

 localities whence those supplies are derived is greatly to be deprecated. 



" 6. That it is a duty to prevent the excessive waste of wood, the timbers 

 useful for building and manufacturers being reserved and husbanded. 



"7. That as much local ignorance prevails as to the number and nature of 

 valuable forest products, measures should be taken to supply, through the 

 officers in charge, information calculated to diminish such ignorance." 



Roused by this warning note, attempts were made in India just before 

 the mutiny, and more thoroughly after it, to organise a forest conservancy, 

 and at the present time there is in that empire a forest department of about 

 150 officers, or rather less than a man to every hundred square miles, or 

 over 60,000 acres of forests. For efficiency the department ought un- 

 doubtedly to be increased tenfold, though their efforts already result in a 

 surplus forest revenue of nearly 300,000 per annum, or about 2,000 for 

 each officer empl 3yed. The Indian government have established a school 

 in the north of India, at Dehra Dun, for the training of the native sub- 

 ordinate forest officers. To this school a large forest area is to be attached 

 for teaching purposes. 



In Scotland the Highland and Agricultural Society have a very excellently 

 organised examination in the theory and practice of forestry ; but they have 

 found great difficulty in getting candidates to present themselves. The 

 obvious causes of this are two in number ; 1st, the examination being un- 

 official, the Society has nothing to offer but its diploma; 2nd, and more 

 important, there being no school of forestry in the kingdom and no syste- 

 matic practical teaching in State forests, the wonder is, not that there are 



