734 CONSERVATION 



with a two-foot gauge run by gravity turer on law. These men are for for- 



to take the logs from the logging area estry alone, not for the other courses 



to the main stream, a distance of five as well. 



miles. The logging area itself is so The course extends over three years, 



steep that an elaborate system of stops covering very completely all the sub- 



ancl slides has to be constructed to get jects in technical forestry, and the al- 



the logs down. And they fell the trees lied sciences. Before entering the for- 



across the slope instead of up or down estry course, a man must have been 



for convenience in peeling and for the three years in a "higher school." This 



safety of the men. is not like our "high schools," but much 



The working plan and system of syl- more advanced, more like our ordinary 



viculture would compare favorably with colleges. A man is generally about 



almost any in Europe except that, per- twenty when he graduates from one of 



haps, the formulas used for figuring these higher schools and enters the uni- 



the annual area and volume to cut were versity. Thus the course in forestry is 



rather crude, considering the intensity practically a post-graduate one and is 



of the rest of the management. built on a good, broad foundation. In 



The only criticism of the system is addition to the four parallel courses 

 the rigidity with which it is applied, mentioned above, there are three sub- 

 Yery steep, rocky slopes on which the sicliary courses in agriculture, forestry, 

 forest should be managed as protection and veterinary medicine. For forestry 

 forest under some system which would this subsidiary course extends over 

 keep the crown cover intact, are clear- three years, has the same staff of in- 

 cut and planted. The result is that on structors as the higher course, and prac- 

 large parts of such slopes the cutting tically the same subjects. The only 

 destroys the forest conditions so that difference is that the three years in the 

 planting becomes impossible. This higher school are not required before 

 point, however, may be looked at in entering (admission being by competi- 

 another way. Under any system of nat- tive examination), and therefore there 

 ural reproduction the valuable Shinoki is not the same foundation to build on. 

 would be crowded out by the inferior Unfortunately, there is a rush for the 

 Shiba on account of the poor power of subsidiary course, three times as many 

 reproduction of the Shinoki and ex- applying as can be admitted, while there 

 cellent reproduction of the Shiba. are not enough for the higher course. 

 Hence, from a strictly financial point The courses, both higher and subsid- 

 of view, it may pay better to get a iary, are all influenced by German 

 patchy forest of Shinoki than a solid methods, and even a certain amount of 

 one of Shiba. teaching is in the German language. All 



the technical phraseology is German. 

 - TRAINING The university is very fortunate in 



Before taking up the state forests it tlle matter of college forests, owning 



will be well to give some idea of the five in a11 ' aggregating 206,509 acres, 



kind of training which foresters re- ()f these, one of 5,421 acres is within 



ceive in lapan. eas . v reach of Tokyo, and serves for 



There 'is no regular forest school as ' iv i n " the men practical field training, 



such, but forestry is taught as one of f tne others, one of 57,000 acres is on 



four parallel courses in the College of the Island of Hokkaido, or Yezo, to the 



Agriculture in the University of Tokyo. north, and serves only as a field for 



The four parallel courses are : (i)Agri- special investigations of the individual 



culture, (2) agricultural chemistry, students or professors, and the other, of 



(3) forestry, and (4) veterinary medi- 144,000 acres, is on the Island of For- 



cine. Of course, this is the same thing mosa, and is practically untouched, 



as having a forest school. Most of the vacations are spent in tour- 



The staff consists of five professors, ing through the different forests of the 



three assistant professors, and one lee- country. 



