IO 



features such as water-sheds and streams, roads have only been used as boundaries when of 

 a permanent nature. It has been necessary to make 10 sub-compartments, 4 in the Kanha and 

 6 in the Kisli block. Owing to the open nature of the forests found in these sub-compart- 

 ments it has been necessary for the present to exclude them from the felling areas prescribed 

 in the Working Plan. For the same reasons compartment 20 of the Kisli block has been 

 excluded from the felling urea. 



Analysis of the crop, method 

 of valuation employed. 



37. Daring the years 1901, 1902, 1903, 3,174 acres of sal 

 were worked over. The number of trees felled were as follows : 



These give an average of 2'2 trees per acre. During these years, however, dead and 

 dying trees of under 5 feet in girth were cut and also all sound trees of 5 feet in girth and 

 over, whereas the prescriptions of this Working Plan limit fellings to trees of 6 feet in girth 

 or over and half the trees of 5 to 6 feet in girth. 



With the aid of these figures a careful eye estimate of the yield of each compartment 

 has been made and it has been calculated that the maximum yield is 19,084 trees which gives 

 a mean annual. yield of 636 trees or a yield of i - 2 trees per acre. 



CHAPTER VII. 



OBJECT SOUGHT TO BE ATTAINED AND METHOD or TREATMENT. 



38. The object sought to be attained is the maintenance of these forests as high forest 

 in such a condition as to yield the largest possible sustained outturn of timber suitable 

 for market requirements. 



The method of treatment adopted is the removal of mature, overmature and dying trees 

 under a" system of selection fellings with a view to keeping up the supply of large timber. 

 Even if the selection system was undesirable on other grounds, it is the only form of 

 treatment possible owing to the danger of admitting frost. 



39- 



The exploitable age or girth. 



It would be desirable to fix an age-limit for the exploitation of sal. Information, 

 however, on this point is very meagre as yet and it is not consi- 

 dered advisable to prescribe any working on the age basis. The 

 actual age of a tree of a certain girth is not very important at present. The most 

 important point is to consider the girth best adapted to meet the most general demand 

 for timber and to consider how to supply it without overworking the forest. It may be 

 noted here that in the neighbouring Topla Reserve where conditions are much the same as 

 in the Banjar Reserve the mean rate of increase in girth has been found to be about -43' 

 per annum. This gives the age of a 6 feet tree as being about 170 years. As far as can be 

 seen at present the most important and steady demand for timber in the future will be the 

 Gun Carriage Factory at Jubbulpur. As their latest timber specification lays down a mean 

 girth of 66" it is clear that to avoid the risk of rendering ourselves unable to meet the require- 

 ments of this market we must fix the exploitable girth at 6 feet. As far as we know at 

 present sal under overage conditions attains maturity with a girth of 6 feet, though this figure 

 varies according to the factors of the locality. So far, however, the demand of the market 

 and sylvicultural requirements agree. Further experiments in the Banjar Reserve are re- 

 quired to assist in establishing this question. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE FELLINGS. 



40. A felling rotation of 30 years has been fixed, and pro- 

 vided that the demand equals the supply the whole forest will be 

 worked over during this period. 



The general working scheme, 

 calculation of the possibility. 



Mature trees of 6 feet in girth otherwise termed " first class trees" may be felled, as 

 also half the number of trees from 5 to 6 feet in girth termed " second class" trees/ The 

 annual possibility has been based on the number of stems of exploitable girth and the coupes 

 have been arranged compatible with other considerations so as to give an approximately 

 equal annual yield. The maximum possibility will, therefore, consist of all existing first class 

 trees and half existing second class trees. 



41. The total sal area has been divided into 30 annual coupes fixed with a view to 

 . , , equalizing the annual yield. The possibility fixed is a maximum 



prescribed "" one and should not be worked U P to should th ere be sylvicultural 



objections to the removal of any portion of the crop that composes 

 it, should this not bejjustified by the demand. Each coupe may be kept open for 2 years 



