574 DKV FALLEN WOOD. 



2. Impovtaurr i>f T)nj Wood from Xdtioudl-Economic and 

 Stjlvirultnral Asjx'cts. 



^^^len the immense amount of dry wood is considered, which 

 in many places is gathered weekly by the poor and forms a 

 large proportion of their winter supply of fuel, its national 

 economic importance is obvious. Even when firewood-prices are 

 at their lowest in well-wooded districts, this usage is always 

 practised. It has been maintained that the collection of dry wood 

 is a waste of labour which might be more profitably applied in 

 other directions; this may, however, be controverted. 



"Wherever the country people are chiefly employed in agri- 

 culture, there are certain slack times in every year which they 

 can devote to collecting firewood for their own household 

 requirements. It cannot be denied that labour might be more 

 profitably employed than in collecting dry wood, but it should 

 also be remembered that country folk, and esi)ecially those 

 li\ing near extensive woodlands, are not acquainted with 

 national-economic laws and are usually satisfied with obtaining 

 the bare means of living. Country labourers, however, are 

 severing themselves more and more from old customs, and 

 obtaining better markets for their labour, so that it is chiefly 

 children and weaker people who gather dry wood. 



[In India, dry fallen wood is freely given from the State forests 

 and othei-s to villagers and travellers ; large quantities of firewood 

 are also gathered by tlie i)eople free of any charge from the drift- 

 wood which is stranded hy tlic numerous rivers during and after the 

 monsoons. — Ti{.] 



The sylvicultural importance of dry fallen wood depends 

 chiefly on its value in enriching and loosening the soil, the 

 protection it aflnrds to dead leaves in exposed places (preventing 

 the wind from blowing them away) ; also when properly super- 

 vised, on the careful removal of dead branches fi'om trees to 

 render them free from knots. 



It is well-known that dry twigs and blanches decompose in the 

 same way as dead leaves, needles and other organic bodies, and 

 thus increase the supply of humus. The physical eflect is still 

 nnn-e important, for pieces of dry wood becoming gradually 

 buried in dead leaves loosen the upper strata of soil and 



