198 SYLVICULTURE IN THE TROPICS R . n 



With the former clumps, what is required so as to 

 obtain a continuous yield is to avoid cutting the shoots 

 of the year, so as not to check the vitality of the rhizomes 

 at their growing point, and to leave a sufficiency of older 

 culms, the leaves of which will elaborate the sap and 

 keep up the vitality of the clump, or of a particular 

 radial group of rhizomes. 



With tufted clumps, where all the culms spring 

 within a restricted area, additional care has to be paid 

 to prevent the clump from becoming congested, that is, 

 the felling has to be made in such a manner that the 

 new rhizomes, in their development, will not be checked 

 by being arrested by the dead rhizomes appertaining to 

 culms which have already been cut, or by the mass of 

 old culms outside. This checking may lead to the new 

 rhizomes being developed towards the centre of the 

 clump, where, the ground being already occupied by a 

 dense mass of older or dead rhizomes, the new ones are 

 forced upwards and produce culms which are hemmed 

 in by those which already exist. Of all bamboos, that 

 for which there is the greatest demand is probably the 

 Dendrocalamus strictus of India, and it is with this 

 species that most experiments have been made in tropical 

 and sub -tropical forests. One method of treatment 

 which has apparently yielded good results consisted in 

 cuttins; about one-third of the total number of culms in 

 a clump in such a way as to leave the remainder of the 

 culms well spaced, no culm being cut at more than 

 6 in. (15 cm.) from the ground. The culms which are 

 less than one year old are not cut. 



As this system w 7 as found to be applicable only to 

 comparatively small areas, owing to the amount of super- 

 vision necessary, another system was introduced for 

 larger areas. In these, the bamboo forests were divided 

 into blocks ; some of these blocks w r ere liable to heavier 

 working, owing to their being closer to industrial centres. 

 In these blocks no working is allowed for two years, 

 and in the third year none of the shoots of the year 

 are allowed to be cut, while at least four or five of the 



