433 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



They know how to grow a good tree for ornamental purposes, 

 but of what forestry means as a commercial pursuit they have not 

 the slightest idea." 



Naturally, then, we look abroad for that guidance which 

 we do not find at home. We know that abroad — where, 

 as a general rule, the landowner is full owner of his land — 

 they have good forests and good forestry. Our natural 

 inclination tempts us — as it has done since the days of 

 Sterne — to look for instruction first to France, where in 

 Sterne's words, they are supposed to " manage things better." 



France, undoubtedly, in spite of the many crimes against 

 good forestry that her own children not without justice 

 lay to her charge, has something to teach us in the matter. 

 If she has sinned, she has also repented, and to some extent 

 set her hand to making good the loss sustained. She has 

 her public Department for Forestry — as quite a special 

 institution applying its scientific regime forcsticr in 

 practice. If we want any good done in the way of forestry, 

 we shall have to introduce a special department on the 

 lines of the Eaux et Foreis, and not be content with tacking 

 on forestry to some other department. The French Govern- 

 ment makes an annual grant out of public money towards 

 replanting, which is indeed modest at a million francs a 

 year, but stiU it is something. In addition the French 

 Government has, in districts in which there is much forest, 

 organised scolaires forestieres, that is, village schools in 

 which instruction is given in the more elementary principles 

 and manipulations of forestry, so as to train up the local 

 youth to a rudimentary knowledge of the craft. In France 

 also landowners have taken up the question of forestry. 

 Of the entire nearly 23,000,000 acres of French forest 67 

 per cent, are private property — and a goodly part of that 

 the property of private landowners (not communes, munici- 

 palities, etc.). Accordingly it behoves landowners to take 

 an interest in the matter. The three principal Agricultural 

 Societies in France, that is, the Societe des Agriculteurs de 

 France (corresponding to our Royal Agricultural Society 

 and numbering at least as many members), the Societe 

 Nationale d' Agriculture, which is the oldest institution of 



