^ 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



FOREST SERVICE— Circular 23 (Fourth Revision). 

 GIFFORD PINCHOT, Forester. 



SUGGESTIONS TO PROSPECTIYE FOREST STUDENTS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Forest Service receives a large and inc^^^^^^^^e-SyM^mnuests 



for information upon matters treated in^m^ circular. ,>S^ch inqtoies 



from those who think of taking up iomstry t!^^^^^ covered jbLy\this 



circular will always be answered willMgly. It will -be understood7l¥>w- 



ever, that although the Forest ServicB ajfndsjrski^yf"' so far as it cajia, to 



assist and advise the forest student,^ can reasonably go no .further 



than to explain the situation and poinr^^ut^^ jneans by wjiich a man 



may prepare himself for forest work. Ir^^^ianrno more assume the 



responsibility of deciding for the prospective forest student whether he 



will do well to take up forestry than it can predict to whaj/ positio:i3^^;li 



will attain as a forester. , _ ^ rc^X^-^'^ 



:^. DfPT. Of^5 

 PREPARATION FOR FORESTRTT 



The preparation for forestry as a profession may best^^jb^i^u^i^^ 

 college or university course, in Vv^hich the student slSSttaS^Sffesome 

 knowledge of the auxiliary subjects necessary in forestry. Of the'^e *the 

 more important are geology, physical geography, mineralogy, chemistry, 

 botany — in particular that branch which deals with the anatomy, physi- 

 ology, and life history of plants — and pure and applied mathematics, 

 including a practical understanding of the principles of surveying. The 

 student who, in his college course, can include physics, meteorology, 

 and political economy will be the better equipped to take up his tech- 

 nical forest studies. 



Graduation at a college or university should be followed by a full 

 course at a school of instruction in professional forestrj^ of which there 

 are now several in this country. 



Vacations, during the course of training, should be spent in the woods 

 so far as possible. The student should take advantage of every oppor- 

 tunity^ to study forest conditions and to acquaint himself with technical 

 forest methods in field work. He should also see all he can of lumber- 

 ing, which, on its executive side, is closer to forestry than to smy other 

 calling. A good knowledge of the lumberman's methods is an essential 

 part of a forester's education. 



Whenever possible the forest student will find it of advantage to 

 supplement his systematic studies in this country by six months to a 

 year spent in studying the effects of forestr^^ upon the forest in Europe. 

 Although European forest methods can seldom be adopted without 

 modification in this countrj^, they have been rich in suggestions in the 

 application of practical forestry to American forests. The American 

 forest student who puts aside a chance to see forestry in Europe makes 

 the same mistake that a medical student would be guilty of who ignored 

 rtunity to practice in the best hospitals abroad. 



