1904.] 



Forestry Education. 



7 



" At the Northumberland County Council Farm at Cockle 

 Park, which is under the supervision of the College, over ten 

 acres have already been laid out as experimental plantations : 

 two tree nurseries have been formed, and an arboretum and 

 shelter belts have been planted. The farm, which is 400 acres 

 in extent, is held by the County Council under a lease from the 

 Duke of Portland, which includes a provision for the develop- 

 ment of forestry. 



" This work at Cockle Park was initiated by Dr. Somerville 

 when he was Head of the Agricultural Department of this 

 College. He also gave courses of instruction to young foresters 

 at Hexham, and conducted an evening class in the College for 

 young foresters from the counties of Durham and Northum- 

 berland. These were most successful, and indicate that classes 

 of this character would be of great service to forestry in the 

 north of England. 



" The fact of the English Arboricultural Society having its 

 origin in, and still a very intimate connection with, Tyneside, is 

 a proof of the great interest taken in this subject in the district. 



" The proposed scheme has the support of many landowners 

 in the district and their agents. The representative and appro- 

 priate woodlands of the Duke of Northumberland and the 

 Duke of Portland would be at the disposal of the College for 

 demonstrations to students and for experimental purposes ; and 

 Lord Barnard would gladly give similar facilities on the ex- 

 tensive Raby Estates in South Durham. Tyneside is excep- 

 tionally well wooded, and, speaking generally, the north of 

 England is very suitable for educational work of this character. 

 A special advantage lies in the fact that between Tynemouth 

 and West Cumberland all conditions of British climate are 

 experienced, varying from the colder east coast to the milder 

 and more humid west, while in the four counties great varieties 

 of altitude are to be found." 



Apart from the institutions aided by the Board, the Royal 

 Agricultural College, Cirencester, has recently arranged to 

 provide instruction in forestry, and Dr. W. Schlich, CLE., 

 F.R.S., Principal Professor of Forestry at Coopers Hill, has 

 been appointed Honorary Professor of Forestry at Cirencester. 



As regards Scotland, Edinburgh University has for several 



