Cedrus.] LXXVL CONIFERS. 521 



intermediate rate of growth are chiefly situated in the intermediate ranges 

 and valleys. There are, however, several noteworthy exceptions, showing that 

 various circumstances besides moisture influence the rate of growth of the 

 Deodar. Thus, in the Phinla, Kiuden, and Kilba forests, 138-154 years were 

 found as the average age of a tree 6 ft. in girth a slow rate, although these forests 

 are situated in the lower, that is, moister portion of Kunawar. The high eleva- 

 tion of these forests (8000-10,000 ft.) explains this apparent anomaly. Again, 

 Col. Pearson records an average of five rings to an inch of radius in the Bodia 

 forest of Jaunsar at an elevation of probably 6000 ft., and eight rings in the 

 Tutwa forest, north of the Karama Peak, several thousand feet higher. Another 

 exception is the Nachar forest, at the bend of the Sutlej valley, at about 7000 

 ft. elevation, under the influence of a heavy monsoon, on level ground with 

 deep and rich soil, as mentioned above. Yet the growth of 30 trees examined 

 gave an average of 149 rings for a girth of 6 ft. Here the trees had grown up 

 close together, hence the unusually tall stems and slow growth. To a certain 

 extent this circumstance may have contributed to keep down the rate of growth 

 in the Phinla and Kilba forests. The influence of the gradient was exemplified 

 by a number of trees examined in the Serinche forest, on the Baspa river above 

 Sangla. Here 10 trees, which had grown on level ground, attained a girth 

 of 6 ft. in 62 years on an average ; and 4 trees on a slope of 30 degrees had re- 

 quired 132 years to accomplish this, the extremes being, in the first case, 36 

 and 83, and in the second case 102 and 173 years. 



Regarding the crop of timber per acre in a mature Deodar forest, our informa- 

 tion is scanty. The large mass of the natural pure Deodar forests is imper- 

 fectly stocked ; most of those from which the timber could readily be sent 

 down to the river are nearly exhausted, so that the opportunities for examining 

 fully-stocked tracts have not been numerous. The following data are recorded 

 in the Report quoted above : 



AREA SURVEYED. AGE OP FOREST. TREES PER CROP PER ACRE. 



Acres. Years. acre. Cub. ft. 



Cub. contents calculated by square of quarter girth. 



This includes, not the tops and branches, but only that portion of the stem 

 which, under existing circumstances, yields marketable timber. In the Nachar 

 forest, the available length was taken at 80 ft., and in the other forests at 50-60 

 for first-class (above 6 ft. girth), and at 25-30 for second-class trees (4-6 in. to 

 6 ft. girth). That portion of the Nachar forest in which this survey was made, 

 contained (before felling operations commenced) per acre 54 first-class trees, 

 yielding 218 cub. ft., and 8 second-class, containing 66 cub. ft. each. The 

 other forest tracts contained between 54 and 90 trees of the two first classes 

 that is, exceeding 4 ft. 6 in. in girth. By way of comparison it may be stated 

 that, in North Germany, forest tracts of limited extent, exceptionally well 

 stocked, and older than 120 years, have been found to yield the following 

 crop : 



Scotch fir 85-95 ft. high, 565 cub. metre per hectare, 8,074 cub. ft. per acre. 

 Beech above 95 ft. 600 8,574 



Spruce 95-130 ft. 760 10,860 



Cub. contents calculated by exact measurement, not by squares of the quarter 

 girth. 



