47 



teclinic or other institutions of a more comprehensive character. 

 This was the leading topic of discussion at the last Congress of 

 Foresters which was held at Freiburg in Baden, and attended 

 by nearly four hundred members, representing all parts of 

 Germany, also Switzerland, Austria and Bussia. The leading 

 German writers on forestry and the most prominent govern- 

 ment officials in the management of the Crown and Communal 

 forests were there. The President of the Convention was Dr. 

 Nordlinger, the eminent Professor of Forestry at Hohenheim. 

 The discussion, which was virtually a continuation of the debate 

 begun at the Convention in Miilhausen the year before, awak- 

 ened great interest and occupied six hours, the sederunt com- 

 mencing at 8 A. M. and continuing, with an hour's intermission, 

 till 3 P. M. 



A brief summary of the leading arguments shows the 

 feasibility of connecting a Department of Forestry with the 

 Sheffield Scientific School. The discussion was opened by 

 Professor Danckelmann, Director of the School of Forestry at 

 Newstadt-Eberswalde in Prussia, defending the separate Forst- 

 ahademie. He contended that Universities are designed to 

 aid thorough investigations in the abstract rather than in the 

 concrete. Though rich fountains of knowledge, they do not 

 teach practical skill. The Forest Academies on the other hand 

 keep the practical ever in view, and the attainment of knowl- 

 edge is always combined with practice. Four things are essen- 

 tial ; first, instruction in the technical work of forestry ; next, 

 in the management of forests ; thirdly, in scientific research ; 

 and lastly, in the practical application of theories. Special 

 schools are best fitted to secure these results. The Eochschulen 

 are located far away from any forest, and the professors there- 

 fore are less acquainted with practical forestry, and the students, 

 though more varied in their attainments, will fail to know 

 thoroughly the things most essential for their profession ; they 

 will remain strangers to forests, and will not learn how to*ques- 

 tion trees ; they may see cases of dead insects and yet learn 

 nothing of the lives and habits of insects. To be a means of 

 instruction, the forest must be a demonstration ground, and 

 should be so situated that it can be visited daily without 

 fatigue or expense. Though the University is the center of 



