EDUCATION IN FORESTRY. 13 



On the question of whether the preparation which the average student re- 

 ceives in the preparatory school in elementary mathematics, including solid 

 geometry and trigonometry, and in physics, is sufficient, or whether college 

 courses in these subjects should be required, a show of hands showed 7 in 

 favor of a college requirement ; 15 that passing off these subjects by entrance 

 examinations was sufficient. 



On a vote on the question of whether forest schools should set up a separate 

 set of conditions governing entrance, or should accept students who had passed 

 the equivalent of the requirements of the college entrance board, there was 

 unanimous expression of opinion that the lattter practice should in general be 

 followed. 



The question being raised whether a forest school should demand more credit 

 hours for graduation than is demanded in other schools conferring a bachelor's 

 degree, it seemed to be the opinion of the conference that, because a forest 

 school is essentially on a professional basis, it could demand that courses 

 aggregating a larger number of credit hours should be included in this cur- 

 riculum. This is following the procedure already in force in a number of the 

 colleges of engineering in this country. 



Mr. Herbert A. Smith, of the Forest Service, emphasized the necessity of 

 sufficient work in English so that the students should acquire the ability to 

 express themselves with clearness and accuracy. He felt that too early speciali- 

 zation was undesirable and that the early part of the course should be devoted 

 to laying proper foundations in which the study of English should have no 

 small part. 



In closing the discussion on this report, the chairman made it evident that 

 to the committee had been assigned a task of working out on paper what it 

 thought the best course in forestry for a man who could only spend four years 

 in college. The report of the committee should be read in that light, rather 

 than as constituting a fully rounded out curriculum for forestry instruction. 

 The committee was assigned a definite task. The question of what work should 

 be taken by students who desire fully to prepare themselves for the profession 

 falls in the scope of another committee. 



