211] Gorernntcnt Forestry Abroad. '27 



to the forest school is open only to graduates of an 

 agricultural institute in Paris, but this innovation 

 had its rise rather in political than in educational 

 grounds. The fact remains that the French forester, 

 with a course of training only from a fourth to a 

 third as long as that of his German colleague, has 

 produced results whose admirable educational and 

 intrinsic value stands unquestioned. 



All French government forest officers must pass 

 through the school, and the demands of the vast ter- 

 ritory under their care are supplied by an annual list 

 of graduates, which does not in general exceed ten 

 or twelve. 



Such facts make the task of national forest admin- 

 istration seem lighter as we look forward to the time 

 when it must be begun. 



There is a professional school at the Domaine des 

 Barres for men of the higher grade of forest guards 

 who have shown the ability and the ambition to rise 

 to the lower rank of the superior staff. There were 

 last year twelve students in attendance. 



The management of the wood lands of communes 

 and public institutions, which cover together an area 

 of 4,715,124 acres, has been already shown to rest 

 with the State forest service. These facts are made 

 the subject of special provisions in the Forest Code, 

 of which the following are the most important: 



The communes, corporations and other public 

 bodies may make no clearing in their forests without 

 an express and special permit from the President. 



Communal forests can never be divided among the 

 inhabitants. 



A quarter of the forests belonging to communes 

 and other public bodies shall always be placed in 



