METHODS OF FELLING. 211 



prepared in the second summer, carried down on sledges to the 

 depots during winter and floated away in the spring. It is 

 rare that more than two years are allowed for clearing a felling- 

 area ; in such cases the logs which have been lying so long in 

 the forest rarely arrive at their destination in a perfectly sound 

 condition, and they yield only inferior material. 



Whenever great damage has been done by storms or snow, 

 the first measure is to clear the fallen wood from the roads 

 and ridges ; after this has been done all trees which have fallen 

 over young growth or poles are removed. When these cases 

 have been attended to, woods where extensive breakage has 

 occurred are cleared ; then places where single trees have 

 fallen or have been rendered insecure, all injured trees which 

 may serve as breeding- places for insects being felled. 



SECTION IV. METHODS OF FELLIXC. 



1. General Account. 



As a rule, work is begun in as many felling-areas as there 

 are gangs of woodcutters available, and care is taken to sub- 

 divide equally all immediately impending work in so far as the 

 natural silvicultural sequence of the different modes of telling 

 does not interfere with such a plan. This latter consideration 

 is specially important in secondary and selection fellings, and 

 in thinnings of mixed woods, which require great care on the 

 part of the woodcutters and the constant supervision of the 

 forest staff. Not unfrequently one gang may be distributed 

 over several felling-areas, but when it is important to expedite 

 the work owing to impending hard weather or heavy snow, 

 several gangs may be employed in one felling-area. 



In order to divide the work fairly among the men, the felling- 

 areas, which have been previously marked-out on the ground, 

 may be divided into as many equal subdivisions as there are 

 parties in a gang ; or in the case of secondary or selection 

 fellings, or extraction of large trees over underwood, a certain 

 number of trees may be allotted to each party of woodcutters. 



Each subdivision of the work is numbered and termed a lot, 

 and the parties draw numbers to decide in which lot they will 

 work. In forming the lota great care should he taken that the 



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