I Q4 THE NEW FORESTRY. 



CHAPTER XX. 



FORESTRY EDUCATION. 



SECTION I. — SCHOOLS. 



WHILE not disputing the need of forestry education in this 

 country, we have long regarded comparatively recent agitation 

 on the subject as to some extent unreal One might suppose, 

 from much that has been said and written, that sylvicultural 

 operations in this country would have to be almost suspended, 

 and that we must sit with our hands folded until a new gene- 

 ration of foresters had arisen and set to work; whereas, on 

 almost any estate in Great Britain owners might start the 

 newer and better system at once with the men and materials 

 at their disposal ; and some enterprising owners, like Mr. Monro 

 Ferguson, of Raith, have already begun and reorganised their 

 woods on the Continental system. In this book we have 

 carefully confined ourselves to the production of timber. We 

 know that British foresters and gardeners cannot be matched 

 as growers of fine trees, and expert Continental foresters have 

 admitted as much. The man who can grow fine trees can 

 grow timber by simply changing his plan. M. Boppe, inspec- 

 tor of French forests, in his report of English and Scotch 

 forests, speaking of learned treatises on forestry, says, foresters 

 " may very well neglect the text if only they will adopt some 

 of the principles which they contain," and that " ten years of 

 systematic treatment (of woods) would form in itself the basis 

 of a regular forest working plan, and the doctor's prescriptions 

 would no longer frighten the patient." 



Regarding forestry education in the abstract, and without 

 prejudice, the- problem is how to afford the best to those who 

 have to plan and superintend the work in our woods. Owners of 

 woods rarely profess to understand the practical duties of the 

 forester, leaving the business to their agents and foresters. 

 But experience has shown that agents usually know as little 

 about- the subject as their employers, and the evidence given 

 before the Forestry Parliamentary Committee was strongly to 

 that effect. They were said to depend upon the woodmen 

 under them, who were also ignorant A witness, Mr. Britton, 

 who had much experience in the home timber trade on estates, 



