190 1 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



S7 



Sal forests of the Dehra Doon Conser- 

 vancy (British India) are managed may 

 prove of interest. 



These forests are exceedingly irregular 

 in the character of their stock, owing to 

 the fact that for many years in the past 

 they have been exposed to constant depre- 

 dations, reckless fellings, and severe forest 

 fires; as a consequence the Sal {Shorea 

 robusta) which is here the most valuable 

 broad leaf timber species, has suffered to 

 a very great extent and the forest now 



The principal need is to remove or de- 

 stroy the trees which interfere with the 

 growth of the Sal and to take out the 

 dead, dying, and unsound timber. Such 

 work is now being undertaken and will 

 extend over a period of fifteen years. Ex- 

 cept over limited areas where Sal still pre- 

 dominates, or where Bamboo and Sissu 

 are found (both valuable species, the latter 

 a broad leaf tree valuable for timber) this 

 work can be carried on profitably only on 

 a belt some eight miles in width near the 



A WELL STOCKED SAL FOREST ; THE RESULT TO BE OBTAINED BY IMPROVEMENT 



FELLINGS. 



consists of a comparatively few well- 

 formed mature Sal trees surrounded by a 

 badly-formed growth of inferior species, 

 and overgrown by a vigorous growth of 

 Sal saplings and poles. 



In this case the problem is that of mak- 

 ing the forest financially profitable from 

 the sale of inferior material until the young 

 Sal has a chance to develop to maturity. 



River Ganges, where a good market for 

 firewood exists. 



In lumbering the forest the following 

 rules are observed : 



All Sal and Sain ( Termanalia Ter- 

 montosa, a tree second in value to the Sal) 

 over two feet in diameter are removed. 



Sal and Sain down to six inches in 

 diameter which have ceased to grow, or 



