164 REPORT OP THE FORESTRY COMMITTEE 



forest practice. The work in these institutions varies widely in the character 

 and scope and in the length of time given to it. The requirements for admittance 

 are' usually extremely low. In some a grammar school or a high school training 

 is required, but in others "the ability to carry the studies successfully" is the 

 only requirement. The age limit is usually fixed at eighteen years. In two 

 institutions the entire course is but six weeks in length and consists chiefly of 

 informal lectures. In four, the course is from ten to twelve weeks in length 

 and consists largely of lectures but with some field or laboratory practice. In 

 one institution the course covers a period of twenty-four weeks, divided into 

 a period of two terms given during the summer of successive years. Three insti- 

 tutions offer courses one year or more in length. 

 The sub-committee have carefully considered : 



1. The character and scope of the work as now given in American ranger 

 schools and in other institutions that offer ranger courses. 



2. The character and scope of the work in a number of foreign schools that 

 prepare men for secondary positions in forestry. 



3. The opinions expressed and suggestions offered by a selected list of 

 American foresters as to what should be the character and scope of the work in 

 the American ranger school. 



Our conclusions as to v/hat is acceptable for ranger school instruction in 

 the United States is chiefly drawn from the above. These are presented under 

 the following heads: 



1. The place of the ranger schoolin American forestry education. 



2. The general character of the work as compared with technical training. 



3. The requirements for admittance to ranger schools. 



4. The location of ranger schools and their connection with colleges and 

 universities. 



5. The length of the ranger school course. 



6. The subjects in the ranger school curriculum and the relative weight of 

 each. 



The Pi,ace oe the Ranger School jn American Forestry Education. 



The ranger school should bear the same relation to professional training 

 in forestry that the woodshop bears to research in technology or the business 

 college to university instruction in economics and commerce. It is analagous to 

 the trade schools or a system of apprentice training whereby men are equipped 

 for the skilled trades. Its primary object is, indeed, to turn out skilled workmen 

 capable of doing all of the less technical operations required in managing forest 

 lands and of directing unskilled labor, as foremen. 



Ranger school instruction must, therefore, aim to teach the art, or trade, 

 of forestry practice, not the science of forestry. Its courses should be sheared 

 down to those bearing directly on practice, on the things which the students are 

 to be required to do, eliminating theory and all but the most essential of the 

 underlying scientific principles. The method of instruction should be empirical, 

 rather than deductive. It should take up specific problems or processes in the 

 various fields of forest work and give the student specific answers and rule of 

 thumb methods, with a minimum of deduction back to scientific causes and the 

 application of scientific principles. The foregoing cannot, of course, be applied 



