86 ESSAY ON FUEL PLANTATIONS. 



A plantation of this kind can be advantageously cop- 

 piced, for E. Globulus shoots freely from the stool, and in 

 the second decennial felling, will produce a considerably 

 heavier crop than during the first, as the tree has already 

 an abundance of well-formed, far-reaching roots, all in active 

 operation, in providing the growing stool-shoot with sap ; 

 whereas the original seedlings had to spend considerable 

 time in taking possession of the ground with its roots. As 

 I have already stated, how long this system of coppicing 

 with the Eucalyptus will pay, is purely a matter of conjec- 

 ture. I shall proceed now to give thw result of working a 

 mixed timber and fuel plantation of Eucalyptus. 



Having established your plantation in the manner already 

 set forth, it will be necessary in the tenth year to make the 

 first thinning, and we can then cut out 50 per cent, of the 

 more weakly trees, to make room for the rest. The trees 

 thus cut over will shoot from the stool, but the shoots will 

 be poor and weakly, owing to the shade of the ones left. 



The trees felled can be cut up into billets at about 3 

 annas per tree and sold for firewood. 



In the fifteenth year, a second thinning will be necessary, 

 and 220 trees should then be felled and lopped at a cost of 

 6 annas each and sold for fuel. 



In the twentieth year, a third and last thinning may be 

 carried out, of another 220 of the least vigorous trees re- 

 maining, leaving 160 of the largest, at as even distances as 

 possible apart, for timber. 



This thinning can be sold for timber and should fetch 

 6 annas per cubic foot, but I will only take its value as 

 fuel. 



At the end of the twenty-fifth year, the balance may be 

 felled for timber. The trees will then average 110 cubic 

 feet each, and realise ten annas per cubic foot in the 

 market. 



The balance sheet for tweuty-fi ve years for au acre of 



