186 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



April 



windfall. In addition it is more than 

 likely that tne regular gradation of 

 age classes, for which sacrifices have 

 been made will be spoiled by an un- 

 expected fire. This also has recently 

 occurred in Jaunsar. It is a method 

 of regulating the yield but it is ap- 

 parent from the silvicultural point of 

 view that our rapid cutting by "diam- 

 eter limit" methods is more desirable. 

 By our methods we utilize rapidly the 

 mature timber before it has time to 



ing for the other blocks to remove the 

 dead and dying veterans and to aid the 

 advance reproduction. It must be re- 

 membered that in India a sustained an- 

 nual yield is usually vital for the best 

 interests of the native population. In 

 addition the successful marketing of 

 the timber demands a steady annual 

 supply. 



In the Jaunsar Division they have 

 with success secured their reproduc- 

 tion by reserving 5 to 10 seed trees 



Fig. 3. Cleared fire line, 200 feet wide, in chir pine forest near Tous River, 

 dry grass and chir reproduction in foreground. 



Tall 



die. The whole forest is often com- 

 pletely cut over in a cycle of 20 to 40 

 years, while in India the Janusar for- 

 est, according to the working plan 

 must wait 160 years before it is cut 

 over. This method by periods was 

 varied by Mr. K. E. Fernandez in his 

 working plan for the Ranikhet Work- 

 ing Circle of the Naini Tal Division. 

 In addition to the regular fellings by 

 periods, he prescribes a selection fell- 



per acre (see fig. 4). They reserve 

 the small, thrifty trees which will be 

 most benefited by an extra period for 

 growth. Successful regeneration us- 

 ually takes 10 to 15 years. It is inter- 

 esting to hear that the local forest of- 

 ficers believe the moderate grazing of 

 cattle greatly helps the reproduction, 

 as otherwise the grass and needles 

 cover the mineral soil to such an extent 

 that the germination of the seeds is 



