30 PROTECTION AGAINST MAN. 



Wherever the use of leaf-fodder prevails, the important points 

 are : to allow trees to be lopped only after the principal 

 growth of the year is over ; to restrict lopping, as much as 

 possible, to inferior species of little or no value as timber 

 trees, and to prevent the lopping of trees until they have 

 attained a certain size. Wherever the restriction is practi- 

 cable, only side-shoots should be lopped and the leaders 

 spared, and the trees lopped only every third year. In 

 timber forests, lopping should, if possible, be restricted to 

 compartments which will shortly be cut over. 



Where the demands for leaf-fodder are large and cannot 

 otherwise be met, a regular system of pollarding should be 

 introduced, with a fixed rotation, the length of which will be 

 decided by local experience. 



In India and other hot countries, the foliage of woody 

 climbers may be used for leaf-fodder to the actual benefit 

 of the forests. In certain parts of India, green branches and 

 leaves of trees are used to manure the rice-fields, under the 

 term of rob ; this subject will be referred to again under the 

 heading Forest Servitudes. In hot countries, leaves of various 

 forest species are used for tanning, dyes, drugs, hat- and 

 umbrella-making, plates, and for feeding silkworms. The 

 last is a very important and valuable industry, and the trees 

 utilised are generally of much less value for timber than for 

 their leaves, and therefore rules should be made which will 

 afford the greatest possible quantity of leaves at the time 

 required, and in a way most easily accessible to the silk 

 producers. Thus pure coppice is adopted with very short 

 rotations, even of one year in the case of the mulberry in 

 Bengal. As regards the other demands for leaves, forest 

 officers would do well not to be pedantic in stopping industries 

 dependent on their forests which can be supplied without 

 serious injury to the trees by the exercise of a little ingenuity 

 and suitable control. 



5. Fruits of Forest Trees. 



Fruits of forest trees are collected for sowing ; for the food 

 of men or animals ; for extracting oil, dyes, tannin, etc. : or 



