IRREGULARITIES IN UTILISATION. 25 



during seasons of hard frost, when the stems may be broken, 

 or during strong winds, when the direction of the fall of the 

 trees is uncertain. In northern India, fellings are frequently 

 stopped during the hot dry months of May and June, from 

 fear of forest fires which may be caused by the workmen. 



(e) Avoidance of damage to seedbearing trees in regenera- 

 tion fellings, and to standards. 



(/) Throwing trees on to bare spots and not amongst young 

 growth. 



(<?) Kemoval of branches and crowns of trees before felling, 

 to prevent the trees from crushing valuable undergrowth. 



(li) Preservation of young growth during the . removal of 

 stumps, and putting earth into holes thus caused to prevent 

 their being filled with water. 



(i) Careful felling of coppice with sharp instruments and 

 with a clean and sloping cut. 



(;') Leaving stools on steep slopes where erosion is to be 

 feared, and also on shifting sands. 



(k) Avoidance of throwing felled trees on to rocks, stones or 

 other stems ; felling uphill or sideways so that there may be 

 a minimum of breakage. 



(/) Tropical woody climbers should be cut two years before 

 a felling is to take place, as otherwise they bind trees 

 together, and the fall of any tree may involve that of a group 

 of surrounding ones. The softwooded climbers rot in about 

 two years' time. 



(m) Trees are sometimes, as in the case of teak in Burma, 

 girdled two or three years before being felled, so that the wood 

 may dry and lose weight, and become floatable. Care must 

 be taken that this is not done to trees liable after girdling to 

 be bored by insects. 



4. Careless Conversion. 



Here may be mentioned : 



(a) Quick conversion and removal of felled trees, especially 

 in the case of natural regeneration and of coppice ; protection 

 of young growth in both cases. 



(I) Use of the saw instead of the axe in order to prevent waste. 



(c) Quick removal of bark to prevent insect-attacks. 



