264 FELLING AND CONVEliSlON. 



remove the wood from the fellin«,'-area, or at any rate away from 

 the stumps of the felled trees, before it is converted ; — as in a 

 young crop, during the final stage of natural regeneration ; under 

 a shelter- wood, in selection -fellings, cleanings and thinnings. 

 Splitting firewood and conversion of the easily transportable 

 poles and saplings may then be efi'ected on neighbouring blanks, 

 roadsides, etc. 



Wherever the firewood before being stacked has to undergo a 

 further transport by water, sledge-roads or slides, it is advisable 

 to convert it into short butts, and to split these up only after 

 they have been transported to a depot. 



5. Occasional Xon-conrersioii of Firewood. 



Owing to the present greatly reduced price of firewood, 

 foresters are often obliged to give up converting it in the 

 regular way just described. Wood yielding only round billets 

 and faggots, especially from extensive thinnings, may then be 

 simply carried unshortened, including the crowns, to the nearest 

 roadside, and stacked between stakes. 



There are districts where there is absolutely no demand for 

 small poles, saplings, and branch-wood, as in many Alj^ine forests, 

 or in districts containing many private and communal forests. 



6. General Hides regardin;/ C'onrersion. 



Forest managers should bear in mind the following rulfs 

 regarding conversion of timber and firewood : — 



(a) The most urgent local demands of right-holders and 

 contractors must be first satisfied, and the conversion of the 

 remaining material efi'ected from a strictly financial point of 

 view, that is, with a thorough knowledge of the actual demands 

 of the market. 



(b) After carefully considering the demand, the wood should 

 be converted so as to yield the highest possible net-value on 

 deducting the cost of conversion. Jicnce, the mode of conver- 

 sion is a purely local afi'air, and will vary greatly according to 

 circumstances in difterent forest ranges. 



(c) The conversion into any assortment should be regulated in 

 quantity, so as not to glut the market, and to allow of the demands 

 for other assortments being fully met. Forest managers should, 



