274 FEFJJXG AND CONVERSION. 



2. Purpose of the Clearance. 



The wood is generally removed from the felling-area before 

 selling it for different reasons : first, to facilitate the estimation 

 of the yield of the felling in quantity and quality ; then, for 

 sylvicultural reasons, and finally, to improve the forest revenue. 



The first of these objects is obvious, and wherever the estima- 

 tion of the yield depends on the clearance, that is clearly a part of 

 the classification of the timber which has been already described 

 (p. 268). The wood must be stacked in assortments in the 

 forest depot, and the woodcutter who assists in removing it from 

 the felling-area must understand the local classification of the 

 material. 



It is also evident that the removal of the material must act 

 beneficially on the growing-stock, and that the preservation of 

 the latter is much better secured when the forest manager con- 

 trols the clearance of the felling-area, than when the indifterent or 

 careless wood-merchant deals with it, and is therefore admitted 

 into all parts of the forest. Besides, in many conditions of the 

 standing-crop it is essential that the converted material, which 

 must remain in the forest until it is removed by the purchaser, 

 should without delay be withdrawn from the felling-area, so that 

 the latter may be left free and undisturbed for sylvicultural 

 operations. This is above all necessary in the case of coppice 

 and coppice-with-standards, and also in natural regeneration- 

 fellings in high forest. 



The collection of the produce of a felling in depots accessible 

 to ordinary carts, and which oft'er no difliculty of access to timber 

 merchants, must act beneficially on the prices and increase 

 the forest revenue. Experience clearly proves that money care- 

 fully spent in this way will amply repay itself, and even if there 

 were no other objection to the clearance being effected by the 

 purchaser, it is evident that the forest manager can do the work 

 cheaper than the individual purchasers of difierent lots. 



3. Choice of a Forest Depot. 



In order to secure the above objects as thoroughly as possible, 

 the proper choice of an area to serve as a forest depot is highly 

 important. Every forest depot should be so situated as to be 



