DISCUSSION". 29 



and find out how rapidly different kinds of trees have grown. 

 Of course our field is limited, and it covers a very small area. 

 Our measurements will not be of as much value as those taken 

 by the department at Washington, but they will be of local 

 value. We shall take the matter that we have in hand, and 

 work it over. Our ideas naturally will be taken from the in- 

 struction of those who have had more experience than our- 

 selves. We have picked out one piece of plain, from the ap- 

 pearance of which and from the character of the soil would 

 naturally be good white pine land, some thirty acres, and it is 

 proposed to put upon a portion of this some white pine seed- 

 lings. There is one little bunch of yellow pine which is of 

 little value; there is some chestnut and oak and hickory on it. 

 We propose to find out for ourselves in such a way, if pos- 

 sible, that our young men who probably never would have the 

 advantages offered by the Yale School of Forestry can find out 

 some facts which will be of value to them upon their farms, 

 as to how much expense and how much care and labor they 

 can put into the preparation of land devoted to this purpose, 

 and of the care of the same. I think we shall be able to 

 give them some idea of what these things cost. There is one 

 thing that a great many farmers recognize, and that is the fact 

 that time with a farmer is not always money. I mean by that 

 that there are seasons of the year that the average farmer can 

 spend in almost any way, and not have to charge it up against 

 his cash account. That may not be true on every farm, but I 

 know it is on some. And on such, if they can be made to take 

 such seasons of the year to do this sort of work, it is bound to 

 result in advantage. It remains for us to see whether it can be 

 done. We are somewhat in doubt yet as to what we can do at 

 the college. We have two terms a year in this course, the first 

 term beginning after our Christmas recess. We are in hopes 

 of giving the youth of Connecticut who come to the school 

 some practical ideas as to the management and care of forest 

 lands which will be of benefit and use in after life upon their 



