SYSTEMATIC FORESTRY 111 



forestry may probably be traced to the modern 

 excessive love of government administration. 

 The real, or supposed, necessity of a knowledge 

 of natural sciences is one of the most plausible 

 reasons for the demand that afforestation must 

 be entrusted to a government department whose 

 officials are to be specially trained in a govern- 

 ment college. 



There can be no useful discussion about the 

 claims of science until there is an agreement 

 about the meaning of science. It ought to be 

 possible for a scientific man to impart his know- 

 ledge to the world without depreciation of the 

 labours of the practical man. There is no need 

 for any opposition. The best results will follow 

 when both work in collaboration and assist each 

 other. There is no ground for the supposition 

 that the scientific man should be the teacher 

 and the practical man the pupil. 



Forestry is, unfortunately, the art for which 

 the natural sciences are perhaps least useful. 

 The reason is that scientific theories are apt to 

 become detached from reality unless they are 

 tested by frequent experiments, and the long 

 life of trees makes any conclusive experiment 

 very difficult. 



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