The Forester and His Work 105 



national forest lies, and between twenty-one and 

 forty years of age. 



The examinations for forest officers are held 

 once a year. Some of the tests are thoroughly 

 practical. Men have to show how quickly they 

 can mount, how speedily they can saddle and bri- 

 dle a horse, how fast they can pack an outfit upon 

 his back. 



Besides convincing the examiners of their moral 

 character, physical soundness, and ability to cope 

 with the difficulties of a rough, outdoor life, the 

 applicants for higher positions in the forest service 

 should have taken a special course in some of the 

 schools of forestry. 



" Preparation for Forestry as a profession," 

 says Forestry Circular number 23, " should begin 

 with a college or university course, in which the 

 student should choose the subjects helpful in for- 

 estry work — mineralogy, geology, chemistry, and 

 botany. He will need mathematics, to be used 

 later in estimating distances, locating fires or 

 boundary lines, and measuring timber." 



After graduation at a high school or university 

 comes a full course at some school of professional 

 forestry. The first foresters In the United States 

 were obliged to go abroad for their training, but 

 in 1898 two forestry schools were established, one 

 at Cornell University, and one at Biltmore among 

 the mountains of North Carolina. These were 

 followed two years later by the Yale forest school. 



