30 FOKEST PLANTING. 



(luced, the first step to it was the establishment of schools 

 of forestry. For men educated in such schools become 

 not only fit for their vocation, bub consider their position 

 as a trust, and perform their duty to the Government, in- 

 stigated not only by their fealty to the public authorities, 

 but by a professional pride which makes dear to them the 

 forests given to their care and protection. From unskilled, 

 hired men you cannot expect such devotion to the in- 

 terests of the position as is developed in the trained for- 

 ester. That man will always do his full duty even at the 

 peril of his own life. 



Whether our public schools are the proper places for 

 awakening interest in behalf of forestry, we will leave out 

 of this discussion, but our Agricultural Colleges should 

 consider it incumbent upon them to impart not only ele- 

 mentary but full scientific iuformatiou upon this subject. 

 By pursuing this course, they would follow the example of 

 similar institutions in European countries a century ago. 

 For although it is true that in matters pertaining to forest 

 culture much depends upon experience, and that the first 

 impulses to an improved management of forests were 

 given by practical woodsmen, systematic forestry did not 

 make its appearance until the learned men at the univer- 

 sities took the matter in hand, and applied the prin- 

 ciples derived from mathematics, natural philosophy, 

 political economy and public law to forestry. After hav- 

 ing found the teachings of the practical foresters to be in 

 harmony with the principles of science, the learned men 

 did not stop work, but continued their efforts to improve 

 the method of managing forests, and built up a system of 

 managing forests, which, although it cannot be declared 

 yet perfect, has contributed much to the amelioration 

 of the economical condition of the European nations. 



Prominent teachers in forest culture are still at variance 

 in regard to the aims and ends of their endeavors, but 

 all concur in this that Experimental Stations are neces- 



