IMPROVEMENT-FELLINGS 249 



the sylvicultural systems to the forest ; it has first to 

 be restored to a condition in which one or other of 

 these systems may be employed for working and re- 

 generating the forest, and this restoration is effected by 

 means of improvement -fellings. It is for this reason 

 that in India by far the greater part of " Working 

 Plans," or schemes for working the forests, prescribe 

 improvement-fellings. 



It then remains to be seen what is meant by 

 improvement -fellings. Originally the term was taken 

 to mean the same as the coupes oV amelioration of the 

 French foresters, among whom most of the officers of 

 Indian forest service had been trained. These coupes 

 oV amelioration included such operations as cleanings, 

 thinnings, and the weeding out of unsound trees, and 

 some foresters still give this restricted meaning to 

 improvement-fellings. But, with others, this meaning 

 has come to be considered not to be broad enough. 



First of all, among the growing crop of saplings and 

 poles there are many which are gnarled, crooked, or 

 unsound as a result of grazing or forest fires. These 

 would never develop into good trees, and they are still 

 young enough to give vigorous stool-shoots capable of 

 growing to useful dimensions, and to give better timber 

 than the misshapen trees which they replace. Where, 

 therefore, there is not a sufficient and healthy advance- 

 growth or sufficient cover overhead, it is to the ad- 

 vantage of the forest to coppice these. This brings 

 coppicing into the operations which are included in 

 improvement -fellings. Among the larger trees there 

 may be some which have reached or even passed the 

 exploitable size, and which would deteriorate if kept in 

 the crop until the time w T hen it is to be brought into 

 working under one of the recognised sylvicultural 

 systems. If their presence can be spared, i.e. if they 

 are not wanted as seed-bearers, or to cover the ground, 

 or for other reasons, it is to the advantage of the 

 forest and of its owner that they should be removed. 

 On the other hand, it may be desirable or even absolutely 



