Views of a Distinguished Forrester. 211 



I hope 3^ou will not establish a Forest School before you have 

 forests tinder systematic management where your students can 

 learn what is wanted. You will, of course, require a number of 

 Forest Officers. Government forest management in India on a 

 large scale, did not commence until in 1866 I obtained sanction 

 to select two first rate German foresters, Schleich and Ribbentrop, 

 who both were my successors, and to organize the professional 

 training of young Englishmen for the Indian Forest Service in 

 Germany and France, one of whom (the late Mr. Hill) was my 

 third successor. 



The United States would have done well, had they followed 

 this example. But my young friend and pupil, Gifi"ord Pinchot, 

 thought that for political reasons it was necessary to proclaim 

 the principle: "The American forests for the Americans." He 

 and the small number of those who have received their profes- 

 sional training in the forests of France, Germany and Switzerland 

 under my guidance are doubtless doing their best to bring the 

 enormous area of forest reserves into working order, but in my 

 opinion they would have done well had they strengthened their 

 hand by the introduction of a limited number of men from Ger- 

 many, of Dr. Schenck's knowledge and experience. 



I doubt whether your hand will be free to act in this matter, 

 and I will not therefore, in any way urge suggestions that may 

 not be practicable. Fortunately the Forest School under Mr. 

 Graves at Yale College and the Biltmore Forest School are, I 

 understand, so far advanced that you can get men from these 

 sources for your work. And you can wait until more of your 

 forests are in proper working order before you establish a forest 

 school of your own. 



As soon as you have a suitable area of State forest entirely 

 at your disposal, then place the most competent man you can 

 get, and let him commence the management of that estate. 

 The first operation will be to divide the area into compartments : 

 in hilly country following the configuration of the soil; on level 

 ground with uniform soil and other conditions, rectangular areas 

 with due regard to river roads and other natural features. The 

 Forest Ranger in charge is not master of the position unless he 

 has divided his range into compartments. 



When one forest range has been brought into working order 

 then you will have to select from among the assistants whom you 

 should at the outset give to each forest ranger, the most compet- 

 ent to take charge of a second range and so on, until gradually a 

 good system of work has been introduced in the whole of your 

 State forests. 



By all means arrange for the exploration of your northern 

 wilderness region, for the reservation of lands from settlement 

 at the sources of your great rivers and for tree planting on the 



