FOREST EXPLOITATION. 175 



these, so that without present loss the forests shall be 

 handed down to coming generations undiminished in 

 body, and enhanced in value, if not also increased in 

 extent ; and to secure each of these as efficiently as if it 

 were the only object aimed at. Reference has been made 

 to the making of a honey comb as supplying an illustra- 

 tion of what is meant. In the honey comb each cell as 

 formed supplies by its six sides what is equivalent to 

 another cell a sixth part of six others j and by its three- 

 sided bottom it supplies the third part of the bottom of 

 three other cells on another plane parallel to this, on the 

 other side of the plane of the bottoms of the cell. By this, 

 then, there is secured a saving of space, a saving of material, 

 and a saving of labour as complete as if any one of these 

 had been the sole aim of the artificer. So is it here : the 

 amelioration of the forest, its sustained production, and 

 its natural reproduction, are each of them secured as 

 efficiently from each action of the forester as it would have 

 been if this had been the sole object of his work. 



But we have not yet stated all the pre-requisites of this 

 method of exploitation. 



I have intimated that exploitation, according to La 

 Methode des Compartements may be considered to be only a 

 development of the method of exploitation known as La 

 Methode a tire et aire ; but it is, as that statement implies, 

 the same with a difference. It is designated in Germany 

 the Fachivtrke Method, in France La Methode des Comparti- 

 ments. and in some other countries the Scientific method 

 of exploitation, while in some countries I have heard it 

 characterised by a designation conveying the idea that it 

 is the rational, or most natural, method of exploiting forests 

 of great extent. And certainly, as carried out in some 

 lands, it goes (to make use of a school- boy expression) like 

 clock-work. Jt does so ; but as it is the case that the 

 smooth movements and definite announcements made by 

 the clock are brought about by complicated machinery 

 each part of which is adapted to co-operate with adjacent 



