14 FORESTRY IN SPAIN. 



ignorance of the good doctrine which found its birth, 

 some fifty years before in the schools of Germany, and had 

 cast its dawning light upon the northern slopes of the 

 Cordilleras of the Pyrenees/ 



Two years later, by Royal decree of 30th April, 1835, 

 it was established, that within what was called the corps 

 of civil engineers, tUere should be established a depart- 

 ment designated Inspector of Woods, so soon as the 

 creation of the necessary school should admit of this being 

 efficiently organised ; and next day (1st May), there was 

 prepared a Royal decree, according to which the said 

 school of forest engineers was established in the capital of 

 the kingdom, in October of Uhe same year, under the 

 direction of Don Antonio Sandalio de Arias. 



The year, however, closed without the project being 

 realised, and the subject might seem to be forgotten. But 

 some years later a son of Gotta, who with Hartig founded 

 the original school of forestry in Saxony, was invited by 

 Senor Don Martin de los Horas, Intendente de la Real 

 Casa y Patrimonio, to come and organise a scientific 

 management of the forests of the Royal patrimony. He 

 could not come ; and to meet the more pressing require- 

 ments of the case two young men were sent, at the charges 

 of the Royal treasury, to the forest academy at Tharand, 

 to go through the course of study required of them as forest 

 engineers; and on 16th March, 1843, there was issued by 

 the Regent of the kingdom a decree ordering anew the 

 establishment in Madrid of a special school of forest 

 engineers, and practical schools of sylviculture, land sur- 

 veying, and mensuration, in the provinces of Cuenca, 

 Huesca, Jaen, and Santander. Along with this decree 

 there were issued regulations for the schools, but like the 

 first attempt to accomplish the same object this second 

 proved abortive. 



A Royal decree, issued on the 18th November, 1846, 

 had, however, happier results, and 011 the 10th January, 

 1847, by Royal order, Senor Don Bernardo de la Torre 

 Rojas was appointed Director of the projected sciiool, 



