FIFTH NATIONAI, CONSERVATION CONGRESS 173 



subjects as will best lit the student for the immediate work he is to undertake. 

 The work should be nearer the character of work done in the trade school than 

 in the technical school. 



3. "An age limit, an evidence of a knowledge of the elementary branches 

 to be determined by examination or by presentation of certificate; experience 

 to count towards entrance requirements. 



4. 'The ranger course proper should cover two years of work. A pre- 

 paratory year might also be given for those who enter the school with insufficient 

 training in the elementary branches. Field work should form a higher ratio to 

 recitation work in the ranger school than in the technical school. The nature 

 of the work done should be practical in every respect, the aim being to put forth 

 men capable or doing certain work because they have already done that work. 

 During a portion of the second year of the course students might be placed 

 as apprentices under competent forest rangers. 



5. "The ranger school can best be managed in connection with a college or 

 similar institution, but the school proper should be located at a distance from 

 the college, preferably in the woods. Students could be brought to the college 

 during a portion of each year for courses in special subjects. 



6. "Foresters actually engaged in the management of forest property cannot 

 be expected to give the time and attention to the instructional work necessary 

 for a successful school. Their duty would lie in connection with their position 

 on the forest rather than with the school. The advantage to the forest would 

 be greater than to the student. Students could gain this practical training by 

 being placed for a season under such foresters. 



7. "There is need in this country at the present time for woodsmen to take 

 charge of small wooded estates at a nominal salary. Many owners of forest 

 land would employ rangers to care for their property if they could be secured, 

 whereas they are not able to employ technical foresters because of the greater 

 expense. Inquiries have already been received for such men. The United States 

 Forest Service needs a class of trained woodsmen for the position of ranger and 

 assistant ranger on the national forests. Many of the State forestry departments 

 also require the services of such trained men. 



8. "The training would necessarily be local in character; that is, it would 

 be impossible to' locate the school in different portions of the country during 

 the year. The class of men who would enroll in a ranger school would be men 

 of small means. This would not prevent, however, the course being developed 

 on broad lines to acquaint the student with the forest conditions in different 

 portions of the country. A thorough knowledge of the forest conditions in one 

 locality should enable a man to carry on forest work in other localities without 

 much difficulty." ' 



J. A. Ferguson. 



"I submit the following reply to your questions relating to secondary forestry 

 education : 



1. "The work of a ranger school should be very practical and should cover 

 but little theoretical work. It should, in a sense, be equivalent to the last year or 

 two of work in a technical high school. The idea of the work should be to take 

 men not prepared for college and by a year or two of practical training make 

 them better able to take hold of woods operations of any kind in the capacity of 

 guard, ranger, or manager. The men should understand at all times that they 

 are receiving a practical training and not an education in forestry. Men trained 

 in ranger schools, it seems to me, should fill positions of guards, rangers and 

 managers of forest estates under the direction, at all times, of trained foresters. 

 They should be able to go ahead with the carrying out of directions of trained 

 foresters in estimating of timber, in fire protection plans, in utilization, etc. 



