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CHAPTER VII. 



THE REAL FOREST COMPARED WITH THE NORMAL FOREST. 



HAVING drawn a picture of the normal, or ideal, forest, 

 it remains to compare it with what is found in reality. A 

 forest which is absolutely, and in every respect, in a normal 

 condition does not exist, especially in the case of extensive 

 areas treated under high rotations ; and if an area should ever 

 get into that state, greater or smaller deviations are sure to 

 occur again. The great value of the normal forest consists in 

 its serving as a standard, towards which the forester must 

 endeavour to lead the forest under his management. How this 

 is done is laid down in forest working plans. 



Forests which are worked for quantity or quality of produce 

 only may be abnormal in respect of 



(1) The increment. 



(2) The size and distribution of the age classes. 



(3) The growing stock. 



From a financial point has to be added : 



(4) There may be woods which work with a forest per cent. 



smaller than the general per cent. p. 



Either one, more, or all these conditions may be in an 

 abnormal state. 



In determining the method by which the abnormal condi- 

 tions are to be removed, it must be specially noted that the 

 increment alone renders the growing stock an active capital ; 

 it replaces year by year that quantity of the growing stock 

 which has been removed by fellings. Hence., it must be the 

 forester's first care to bring the increment up to its normal 

 amount. This is accomplished by regulating the cuttings in 



