498 



School of Working Foresters. [sept., 



the farmers how to plant and grow this fruit. In the first 

 year 86 acres were planted, with a yield of nine waggon loads. 

 In 1904 about 1,000 acres were planted, and fifty waggon 

 loads were despatched; and this increased two years later to 

 between 250 and 300 loads. 



The Board have been furnished with the following state- 

 ment respecting the Forest of Dean School of Forestry, which 

 has been prepared by Mr. C. O. 



. . c °° 0 , Hanson, with the consent of the Com- 



Workmg Foresters, 



Forest of Bean. missioners of H.M. Woods and 

 Forests : — 



Previous to the year 1904 there was no school in the United 

 Kingdom where young working men who desired to take 

 up forestry as a business could be taught both the theory 

 and practice of the subject. In that year the Commissioners 

 of Woods and Forests started a small school in the Forest 

 of Dean, which has since annually trained a small number 

 of men to be foresters or woodmen. 



The Forest of Dean is a very suitable locality for this 

 purpose, as there is an area of some 24,000 acres of forest in 

 the neighbourhood, including the Crown Estates of High- 

 meadow and Tintern, in addition to Dean Forest itself. 

 These woods are worked in accordance with proper working 

 plans. They are situated at all elevations up to 900 feet, and 

 on many varieties of soil and aspect. The students can thus 

 become familiar with the growth of trees under many 

 conditions. 



The school is essentially one for working men, and at 

 present the number of students admitted in any year is limited 

 to twelve, and these must ordinarily be between the ages of 

 twenty and twenty-five years, though occasionally a student 

 rather younger or older will be admitted for special reasons. 

 There are no examinations for admission, but the students 

 are chosen from amongst those who apply, the preference 

 being given to young men who have already worked in woods 

 or nurseries or at other work upon the land, and who are 

 well, recommended by the land agent or owner under whom 

 they have been employed. 



