THE CIVIL SIDE OF FORESTRY. 



C. E. NEWTON, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering 



THE subject matter of this article is based upon experience, gained in 

 teaching at the Michigan School of Mines, the University of Washing- 

 ton and from knowledge obtained from practical experience. 



The question might well be asked, "What is the purpose of a 

 course in surveying?" For the College of Forestry at the University of 

 Washington it may be answered thus: To give an insight into the use of 

 surveying instruments and the methods of using such instruments in the 

 practice of plane surveying; to acquire the habit of observing and of rec- 

 ording objects as seen in their relative position; to record without altera- 

 tion and with integrity the observed results; to apply the mathematics re- 

 ceived in abstract to the solution of concrete problems from personal field 

 observations; to compile reports and make maps depicting clearly the re- 

 sults for which the work was undertaken. 



The young college student, if he is of a thoughtful type, probably 

 asks of himself or of his classmates, "What is the use of all these accom- 

 plishments? What is the use of surveying?" Did you ever look at a 

 map and wonder how the positions of the lines of latitude and of longi- 

 tude, the shape of a continent, the form of a coast line, the boundary of 

 a nation, or of a state, or of a forest reserve, the course of a river, the 

 position of a city could be located on the map in question? That map is 

 a graphic form of the results compiled from a series of field observations 

 called surveying. Perhaps to bring the matter a little nearer to some of 

 us we might ask, How did you know how long that railroad bridge had 

 to be? How did you know how many cubic feet of water that reservoir 

 would contain? How did you know the best place for the highway over 

 the mountain range? Why, we surveyed for them and made notes of our 

 measurements. 



For many years and at the present time numerous discussions have 

 taken place as to how to teach engineering subjects and the subjects that 

 are termed to be fundamental to the applied subjects. 



I am of the opinion that these two branches of the work: that is, the 

 theory and the application of the theory, should be presented hand in 

 hand. Take the two subjects of mathematics and drawing. If it is math- 

 ematics for mathematics' sake, or drawing for drawing's sake, then teach- 

 ing fundamentals as the two above mentioned, by themselves away from 

 the practical application, is the proper course to follow. However, if we 

 are teaching subjects to be used in practice, why not teach the subjects 

 as they are used in practice? 



At the University of Washington it is not our intention to develop 

 men trained in surveying to the point of being capable of taking charge of 

 an extensive survey at the time of their leaving school to enter the field 

 of practice. Our aim is to train the students in the habits and methods of 

 work that are in accord with the best practice. The graduate will know 

 how to read drawings, read maps, make them and make the surveys that 

 will in all respects fulfil the requirements of the business, but he will lack 

 the experience that will enable him to head a party, to work with speed 

 and under pressure. These later accomplishments can be gained only in 

 practice in the field. At the present time the surveying work in the Col- 

 lege of Forestry at the University of Washington is given in the second 

 and third years of the regular college course. We try to show the student 

 the need of the work offered to him. We go immediately into the field 

 and start our course with some work that requires primarily chaining. Of 



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