THE TRAINING OF A FORESTER 



It has been the experience of every 

 Forester, as he goes about the country, to be 

 told that a certain mountain is impassable, 

 that a certain trail can not be travelled, that 

 a certain stream can not be crossed, and to 

 find that mountain, trail, and stream can all 

 be passed with little serious difficulty by a 

 man who is willing to try. Most things said 

 to be impossible are so only in the mind of 

 the man whose timidity or inertness keeps 

 him from making the attempt. The whole 

 story of the establishment and growth of the 

 United States Forest Service is a story of 

 the doing of things which the men who did 

 them were warned in advance would be im- 

 possible. Usually the thing which " can't 

 be done " is well worth trying. 



Perhaps I ought to add that I am not urg- 

 ing the young Forester to disregard local 

 public opinion without the best of reasons, 

 or to rush his horse blindly into the ford of a 

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