50 CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 



one of the prominent branches of forestry. Our students are wide-awake and we have 

 many now who would like to go on and take advanced work in forestry. I hope Queen's 

 and Toronto will get forestry branches we are going to have one in, Guelph, anyhow. 

 (Applause and laughter). 



Professor MULDREW. If I may crave your forbearance for just a few moments, 

 I would like to speak of another aspect of forestry education, which was suggested by 

 our friend, Mr. McCann, here, a few moments ago. Allow me first to explain my own 

 position. Last summer I was called on very suddenly and very unexpectedly to take 

 charge of that magnificent institution though I say it myself which was given to 

 this province by Sir William Macdonald, of Montreal. (Applause). Now, I have, 

 at least for many years, given a great deal of attentipn to forestry problems, and to 

 education along all such lines as are indicated by this term. It had been, my lot for 

 nearly nine years to live in Muskoka. I was very much pleased to hear that an interest 

 in forestry was beginning to show itself there, and I had almost the assurance to flatter 

 myself that some of the seed which I had tried to scatter amongst the farmers and 

 settlers in Muskoka had, on this occasion, possibly taken root. However, when I found 

 myself in the position of which I speak, in Guelph, I found that my duties there would 

 be, very largely, to disseminate, by means of the teachers of the public schools, 

 education along the lines which are now commonly described under the heading of 

 nature studies. I could not help noticing a few minutes ago, although we have had 

 many brilliant speeches this afternoon, the gentleman who stepped up to the table 

 with a small pine seedling in his hand created more enthusiasm and received a better 

 hearing, although he said nothing, than those who made speeches. Gentlemen, we are 

 going to see if we can interest children at school in things like this. They will not 

 need such persistent and energetic hammering at them to get simple ideas on such 

 questions of forestry into their heads. Now, as I said before, I am anxious to learn on 

 this question and if any members of the Association can offer any suggestions as to 

 any lines along which the Macdonald Institute, which is built and maintained for 

 that purpose, can assist the cause of forestry at the same time in the nature studies 

 of the public schools, we shall be most happy to give our consideration to the sugges- 

 tions, and carry them out as far as possible. We are beginning just now to issue a 

 series of bulletins to go to all the teachers of the province, in which we shall do what 

 we can to create an interest in the studies and form a centre where teachers and pupils 

 alike can look for interest and assistance. It is a well-known fact, easy of demonstra- 

 tion, that the intellectual standing of an individual or a nation can be very well 

 measured by the distance ahead which the said individual or nation is able to look. 

 A little child can see nothing but that which appeals to his senses immediately in front 

 of him. As he grows older he deals more with the far-away than with the scene near 

 by. You can see the same between the savages and civilized man. You have often 

 heard about the Indian planting potatoes and digging them up again in two weeks 

 time to see how much they had grown. We are something like the Indian. A year 

 is too long for him to wait ; fifty years is too much for us to wait. As the standard 

 of education gets higher we will see that the wisdom of the old world is still far in 

 advance of the wisdom of the new world in some of these fundamental matters. 



Now just one more matter. There seems to be a question as to whether a school 

 of forestry i to be established, or two or three of them. Now, I would not bring this 



