TAPPING MAEITIME PINES. 



717 



to 60 years old, there being then from 80 to 100 trees per 

 acre which are all tapped to death in the course of five years. 

 The trees in a compartment 55 years old are for this purpose 

 sold standing and must be felled within the five years, being 

 meanwhile made to yield all their available resin. The under- 

 growth of pine seedlings, tree-heather (Erica arbor ea), arbutus, 

 gorse, etc., is cleared away, and the area sown naturally by 

 seed which blows on it from adjoining areas, artificial sowing 

 being effected, if necessary, to complete the regeneration. 



Thinnings are commenced when the saplings are about 

 five years old, maritime pine requiring more exposure to light 

 than almost any species, especially if it is to yield resin as 

 well as timber. These thinnings are repeated every five 

 years, the trees being about 10 feet apart when 20 years old ; 

 the material is not saleable in the Forest of Teste till it is 30 

 years old, being often given away gratis for fuel, or left to rot 

 on the area, which it does rapidly. In older thinnings, trees 

 over 1 meter 10 centimeters (3J feet) in girth which are to be 

 removed are tapped to death in five years, whilst the other 

 trees over this girth are tapped alive, as already described. 

 Trees of less girth are not tapped. 



A workman and his wife* can fill 60 casks of crude resin 

 (each containing 50 gallons) from 5,000 to 6,000 grooves, 

 representing double the number of trees ; half the value of 

 the resin collected (about 900 francs = 36) is paid him in 

 return for his labour. One groove yields 2J quarts in a year. 



The estimated t outturn per acre of the fellings sold in 

 1894 was : 



* M. Grandjean kindly has supplied the following figures : () A groove on 

 the average, according to the size of the tree, yields 1 kilo. 880 gr. (1 litre 

 weighing about 1 kilo.) ; (&) A man can look after about 5,000 grooves in a 

 ii ;md collect 40 casks of 23.") litres each. 



1 1'rom account by N. Hearle, " Indian Forester," July, 1895. 



