FORESTRY OF JAPAN. 119 



organization of the association, it is presided over by a Prince 

 of the Blood, and the actual business of the association is 

 conducted by one chief manager, 4 managers and a certain 

 number of officials. Matters of importance are decided in the 

 meeting of 20 councillors, and a committee consisting of 14 

 members take it upon themselves to answer all the questions 

 put by the members. The expenses needed for the support of 

 the association are borne by the members. Though this 

 association is not engaged in actual forest work, it is rendering 

 invaluable services to the Forest circle, contributing a great 

 deal to the development of this industry. 



There are local forest associations in various places which 

 number 20 in all with a similar object to the one just referred 

 to. They all distribute reports of the proceedings of the 

 respective associations either periodically or from time to time. 

 They also hold meetings whether periodically or otherwise and 

 perform similar functions. 



Some of these forest associations are subsidized by the 

 prefectural governments and undertake afforestation work for 

 themselves or rear seedlings laying out nursery beds, for the 

 purpose of distributing them among the members. Others 

 undertake the direction of forest work or drawing up plans at 

 the request of those who are engaged in forest work. Still 

 other hold lectures on forest work These forest associations 

 were at first few in number and were naturally carrying on their 

 business on a small scale, the members of it being very small, 

 but lately they have flourished at an accelerating rate, the 

 member of the associations having considerably increased in 

 number. They are reaping the fruits of their exertions by 



