28 FORESTRY IN POLAND. 



ting, educating, and training the student, and sending him 

 forth to exercise his common sense, his judgment, and his 

 skill, as occasion may demand, and circumstances may 

 warrant or permit. 



Under the antiquated modes of exploitation, Jardinage, 

 and exploitation according to La Methode a tire et aire, the 

 former still practised in several British colonies, the latter 

 in its most imperfect form in some parts of Russia, and in 

 some parts of Scotland, explicit rules could be laid 

 down for the guidance of woodmen and foresters. 

 Under the more advanced Continental forest economy of 

 the day general principles of procedure are evolved ; 

 and the teachers of this forest economy, as do the teachers 

 of law, surgery, and the practice of medicine, say we must 

 leave the application of our instruction to the skill of the 

 practitioner. The legal practitioner whose advice is asked 

 may say, the law is so-and-so; but I must see the docu- 

 ments before I can give an opinion, for, the case being 

 altered, that alters this case. The medical or surgical 

 practitioner whose advice is asked may say, the general 

 principles applicable to the case are so-and-so ; but so 

 much depends on circumstances that some medical man 

 must see the case before a prescription can be given. And 

 so is it with the expounders and practitioners of the 

 advanced forest economy of the day. They say, these are 

 the principles upon which we proceed, but each particular 

 case requires its own peculiar application or mode of appli- 

 cation of them. And this, which may seem to be to 

 its disparagement, is considered by many, and considered 

 justly, to speak its excellence. 



In regard to this method of exploitation, which I con- 

 sider that required in the primitive forests existing in 

 some of our colonial possessions to ensure their conserva- 

 tion, profitable exploitation, and natural reproduction, I 

 have given additional illustrations in a volume entitled 

 French Forest Ordinance of 1669; with Historical Sketch of 



