SEASON FOR FELLING. 205 



low hills the severity of winter rarely interferes with the work 

 of felling, which is generally continued uninterruptedly during 

 this season. 



'2. Available Labour-Fora'. 



In most districts labour is more abundant in winter than in 

 summer, when agriculture offers constant employment. In 

 case, therefore, other stronger reasons to the contrary do not 

 exist, forest management is interested in utilising the other- 

 wise unemployed winter labour-force. 



This is the more urgent, the more agriculture is the chief 

 employment of the local population, which is not the case in 

 extensive forests tracts, where the men work nearly the whole 

 year in the forest, and do not care for other work, whilst the 

 women and children cultivate the small agricultural area. If 

 there are plenty of transport animals in such a country, cart- 

 ing is done chiefly during the open season, or whenever the 

 roads are most passable (which in clay soils with unmetalled 

 roads may be during frost) ; the timber may also be floated 

 during the open season. In industrial countries, where factories 

 abound, there is generally a scarcity of forest labour through- 

 out the year, and especially in summer. 



3. Mode of Fclliny. 



On silvicultural grounds, as regards those modes of felling 

 which are not concerned with reproduction, such as clear- 

 cutting, the season is only of slight importance ; it is more 

 important when care for the woods is in question, as well as 

 removal of some of the trees. 



Clear-cuttings may be effected at any season of the year, 

 unless they are to be followed immediately by sowing or 

 planting. 



Natural regeneration fellings, especially in broadleaved 

 woods, must be effected when the fall and transport of the 

 trees will do the least amount of harm to the shelter-wood and 

 young growth, and that is in winter, whenever the ground is 

 covered vvith snow. 



Regeneration fellings among broadleaved trees, and especi- 

 ally secondary fellings on steep slopes, are effected best over a 



