EDUCATION IN FORESTRY. 5 



of their curricula, and when instructors of adequate background and experi- 

 ence were not available. Looking back over a period of 10 years it is clear 

 that the Washington conference, attended by delegates from nearly all the 

 forest schools then in existence in America, has had far-reaching effects on 

 forestry education in this country during the past decade. 



One of the important results of that conference was the appointment of a 

 committee on forestry education in America, with H. S. Graves as chairman. 

 The purpose of this committee was to prepare and report upon a plan looking 

 forward to a better standardization of forestry education in the different 

 grades in this country. The committee reported at a special conference in 

 Washington, in December, 1911, attended by representatives from 16 forest 

 schools and departments of forestry in American colleges and universities 

 The plan proposed by the committee was discussed in detail and action taken 

 on matters relating to admittance to schools of different grades, curriculum, 

 and the number of hours in each subject. The final report embodying action 

 taken at this special conference was published in the Forestry Quarterly for 

 September, 1912. 



The majority of the committee and the representatives of the institutions 

 present at the special conference recognized that there should be in America 

 four different grades of instruction in forestry. 



(a) Advanced professional training, to include not only a substantial gen- 

 eral education but also a well-rounded course in all branches of tech- 

 nical forestry. 



(6) Instruction for forest rangers, based upon a high-school education or 

 its equivalent, and conducted mainly along thoroughly practical lines. 



(c) General instruction in forestry supplementary to a course in agriculture 



and designed to be of assistance to owners in the handling of wood- 

 lands. 



(d) General courses in conservation and forestry for those who desire it 



as a part of their general education. 



Although the above grades were recognized by the conference, the work of 

 the committee in the final report was confined to formulating standards and 

 requirements for professional training leading to a degree. No action on sec- 

 ondary forestry education was taken by the conference. However, in 1913 a 

 subcommittee on secondary forestry education, of which the writer was chair- 

 man, was appointed by the. National Conservation Congress to present a report 

 at the November meeting of that year. This report, published in the Proceed- 

 ings of the Fifth National Conservation Congress, discusses the development of 

 secondary forestry education in the United States and outlines curricula for 

 various grades of schools and colleges that offer courses in forestry subjects 

 below the grade of full technical training. 



Since 1913 there have been no conferences on forestry education and no ex- 

 tended journal articles dealing with this important subject. Each school has 

 been left to work out, extend, and reshape its curriculum without reference to 

 other schools, at least without mutual discussion and helpfulness. As a con- 

 sequence forestry training in this country in the various grades has tended to 

 diverge more or less from the standard of 10 years ago. To considerable ex- 

 tent local needs have emphasized extended training in certain subjects to the 

 elimination or almost total suppression of others essential in a well-rounded 

 course, in not a few instances the stress for time has continued to restrict 

 the attention that should be given to preforestry subjects, and foresters con- 

 tinue to leave our schools with insufficient background in general educational 

 subjects. 



