FORESTRY EDUCATION AND EX- 

 PERIMENTATION IN THE AGRI- 

 CULTURAL COLLEGES AND 

 EXPERIMENT STATIONS* 



A 



BY 

 SAMUEL B. GREEN 



Professor of Horticulture and Forestry, University of Minnesota. 



S I see the forestry situation in ator in Congress, for the purpose of es- 

 this country today, it is about as tablishing agricultural colleges. Later, 

 follows: Our more progressive and in 1887, an annual appropriation was 

 thinking people are deeply interested made, which now amounts to $15,000 

 in the subject of forestry, and eagerly a year for each state and territory, for 

 grasp any good matter that may come experiments in agriculture. In the fol- 

 iiito their hands that bears on this sub- lowing year what finally became an 

 ject, and the owners of forest land annual appropriation of $25,000 was 

 want to treat their holdings more ra- made for the purpose of teaching agri- 

 tionally, but as a whole they know lit- culture in the agricultural colleges, 

 tie of what practical forestry means. The result of these appropriations for 

 The present situation has been largely education and experimentation in agri- 

 made through the efforts of the nation- culture has been to put agriculture 

 al Forest Service, and it is a very upon a very different basis from what 

 hopeful condition. This grand service it was previously. Instead of an em- 

 is in close touch with the forest inter- pirical practice, it has largely become 

 ests of the country, and is doing much a profession, and not only has it devel- 

 to stimulate thought along these lines ; oped as a science, but as a result of the 

 but of necessity its work is largely con- teaching given in the colleges and the 

 cerned with the administration of the results of experiments undertaken in 

 national forest reserves, which it is the experiment stations, the wealth of 

 fast putting on a sensible basis. I the nation has been greatly increased, 

 think what the situation especially Some of the brightest statesmen in this 

 needs at present is the development of country believe that the increase in the 

 more detailed ideals of forestry more value of agricultural lands, which has 

 generally among our people. The chief been so rapid in the last ten years in 

 of the Forest Service is well aware of the western states, has come largely 

 this fact, and for some time has been from the spread of correct agricultural 

 trying to get some forest studies intro- knowledge, largely as the result of this 

 duced in the schools. In connection national movement, 

 with this thought I would like to call If any one will examine the agricul- 

 attention to the history of agricultural tural literature that was read by our 

 education in this country. people previous to 1890, and compare 

 In 1862 Congress passed what has it with what we have today, a great 

 become known as the first Morrill bill, difference will be noted, and the em- 

 which gave to each state and territory piric statements of even twenty years 

 the proceeds from the sale of a large ago would scarcely interest the' best 

 amount of public land, and 30,000 farmers of todav. Not only is this 

 acres for each representative and sen- true, but while formerly our' farming 



*Read at Annual Meeting of the American Forestry Association, Washington, D. C, 

 January 16 and 17. 



