FOREST MANAGEMENT 133 



by the soil and standing crop. To obtain this, the manage- 

 ment must realise the maximum " expectation value " of the 

 soil ; in fact, the rotation chosen must be that which 

 promises the greatest financial return. For this purpose, that 

 rotation which furnishes the highest net soil rental should be 

 selected. 



The peculiar nature of forestry, especially as regards the 

 time element the long interval between formation and realisa- 

 tion which the production of timber entails, makes it possible 

 to arrive at only approximate results in any computations of 

 this kind. 



It is interesting to note that for the last forty years there 

 has been a literary strife between the advocates of the two 

 methods of calculating the financial rotation which have just 

 been mentioned. This has resulted in an ultimate decision 

 in favour of the soil-rent principle, in spite of the uncertainty 

 of the premises upon which the reckoning is necessarily 

 based. In practice deviations must frequently be made to 

 suit local circumstances more especially is it desirable, in 

 many cases, to keep the felling age well within the date 

 indicated theoretically. 



This preliminary question concerning the aims of the 

 forest being fairly settled, the following matters in connection 

 with the management of the woods must be decided upon : 



(1) The selection of the sylvicultural system. High 

 forest (in any of its various forms), simple coppice, or coppice 

 with standards. 



(2) Choice of the species. 



(3) Determination of the most suitable felling age. Under 

 the financial arrangement of the highest soil rent the felling 

 age is earlier than where the largest forest revenue is the 

 motive. But when all the factors concerned are judiciously 

 weighed, the difference is not nearly so great as speculative 

 literary controversy would suggest. 



(4.) Arrangement regarding "working sections" according 

 to the species, rotation, and character of public rights where 

 such exist. 



