128 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



true of entomology, physics, plant pathology, etc. Again, I firmly believe 

 that forestry should be required in the agriculture courses to a point sufficient 

 for a comprehensive knowledge of it, allowing students opportunities to 



specialize later on. 



The principles of forestry can readily be taught in our short courses and 

 elementary schools provided the fundamentals of botany, soils and nursery 

 work precede the same. But here again this is made possibly only through 

 competent teachers, the product from the Land Grant College or similar 

 institution. 



Please do not understand me as an advocate of more forestry schools, 

 which endeavor to educate the so called technical forester as I believe we 

 have probably enough of this class of institutions already, but that there is 

 a great and growing need for a general forestry education sufficient to prac- 

 ticing modern methods, I am certain. 



In Massachusetts again, I believe we have the ideal arrangement. The 

 State Forester has immediate charge of the shaping and carrying out of the 

 State Forest policy. The State Forester also gives lectures yearly at the 

 Agricultural College covering his field of work. The Massachusetts Agricul- 

 tural College has a Professor of Forestry whose privilege it is to see that all 

 students are taught a working knowledge of the subject. Where certain 

 students have shown special proficiency in forestry they undoubtedly upon 

 graduation may secure credits in forestry schools, but the college does not 

 claim to turn out a technically trained forester. 



By this system of organization, I am convinced that very satisfactory 

 results can be realized. There is certainly plenty of work for a State Forester 

 to accomplish without his being tied down to teaching or doing much research 

 work. His work compels him to be familiar with the general State conditions, 

 and the administration of field work in forestry management, reforestation, 

 nursery work, forest insect and disease depreciations, the care and manage- 

 ment of State forest reserves, forest fire protection, etc. The handling of the 

 forest fire problem alone requires a great amount of supervision to get satis- 

 factory results. The installation and management of lookout stations, the 

 work of securing modern forest fire fighting equipment for towns and town- 

 ships, and keeping it properly housed and cared for so as to be effective, for 

 proper efficient patrol systems in dry times ; all these demand constant atten- 

 tion. To keep a forest fire system effective the State Forester must be in 

 close touch with the working unit. What is true of forest fires is equally true 

 of seeing that forest working plans are properly executed and that all forestry 

 practices are performed in a practical way. 



It therefore, remains for the Professor of Forestry to do the teaching of 

 students and the Station Forester or the Station Botanist, Entomologist or 

 Pathologist to undertake the lines of pure investigation. With this definitely 

 outlined plan results are bound to come. 



In closing, I simply desire to appeal to this association in behalf of a 

 more wholesome position than we have yet reached in recognizing forestry or 

 the forest crop as needing and deserving more attention than we are at 

 present giving it. 



