PRACTICAL FORESTRY. 



in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland ; and as it is 

 proposed to plant altogether 1,000,000 acres this would 

 give 250,000 acres for each of the four countries, which, 

 spread over a period of 25 years, works out at 10,000 

 acres to be dealt with annually at each of the stations. 

 By employing five assistants each would be entrusted 

 with the planting of 2,000 acres. I have purposely spread 

 the planting over a period of twenty-five years in order 

 to lessen the annual expenditure, and so as to insure 

 that by the time the last portion was dealt with the 

 first formed would be annually producing a fair and 

 increasing quantity of timber. A substantial building 

 should be erected at each station, for the accommodation 

 of the head forester and ten assistants, and also for lecture 

 and other rooms. The assistants should remain at 

 the State School of Forestry for a period of three years, after 

 which they may be allowed to fill vacancies as head foresters 

 as these crop up. By this means, not only will the assist- 

 ants receive a good education in forestry work generally, 

 at a fair remuneration, but the State would be benefited 

 by the employment of such men in the laying out, plant- 

 ing and after-management of the woods. During that 

 period of the year when planting cannot be engaged in, 

 the repairs of fences, drainage, removal of rough grow- 

 ing grasses from the young plants and many other 

 operations will demand the attention of the assistants 

 and a small squad of men. After a period of six to ten 

 years, thinning will occupy a large share of time and 

 attention. For purely technical purposes, however, the 

 plantations will not arrive at full value till about the 

 twelfth year, after which, when systematic thinnings are 

 engaged in, the whole curriculum necessary for the forester 

 will be readily obtainable, both planting and thinning 

 being engaged in annually. Later on, the conversion of 

 the timber by saw mills, in order to lessen carriage 

 rates and meet the demands of the trade, will require 

 serious consideration. 



The practical part of the education should include 

 draining, fencing, planting, pruning, thinning, timber- 

 seasoning and preserving, timber measuring and valuation, 



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