CHAPTER II. 



ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCHOOL OF 

 FORESTRY. 



THE Cuerpo de Ingenieros de Monies, or Spanish Corps of 

 Forest Engineers, is recruited exclusively from the School of 

 Forestry, Escuehi Especial de Ingenieros de Monies. 



Such a school was instituted by decree of the 1st May, 

 1835 ; but many modifications were subsequently made in 

 the arrangements and organisation, more especially in 1843 

 and 1846. when the school acquired something of the 

 development which it now presents as a State institution 

 under the Minister of public works and the Director General 

 of public institutions. It was for a considerable time 

 located at Villaviciosa d'Odon, near Madrid ; but in 1809 

 it was transferred to one of the buildings pertaining to the 

 palace of the Escurial, not far from the Sierra Guadarama, 

 about two hours' distance by rail from Madrid. To Sr. 

 Don Carlos Castel y Clemen te we are indebted for much 

 information in regard to the early history of the diffusion 

 of forest science in Spain by schools of forestry. In the 

 latter end of 1876, in accordance with instructions given 

 to him, he undertook to collect information which might 

 serve as the basis of a memoir on the subject ; and in the 

 following year the substance of this was published by him 

 in a brochure entitled Noticia Sobre la Fundaciony Desar- 

 rollo de la Escuela Especial de Ingenieros de Monies, in the 

 introduction to which honour was done, as was most 

 meet, to Sr. D. Bernardo de la Torre Rojas, founder, and 

 for many years Director of the first school of forestry in 

 Spain, the acknowledged 'father of the Spanish School 

 of Forestry.' 



After sketching triefly the reckless destruction of forest 



