80 PRACTICAL FOREST MANAGEMENT. 



of the growth of individual trees show marked contrasts between 

 those grown in even-aged stands. 



" Much of the difference in opinion as to the relative produc- 

 tion of even-aged and uneven-aged stands arises from unfair com- 

 parisons between the two. To gauge the relative production of 

 two methods the same intensity of application must be employed 

 in the management and the two stands must be on the same 

 quality of side. When these conditions are met the production of 

 even-aged and uneven-aged stand should be equal. " 



In adopting the principle of Irregular High Forest it is not 

 necessary to follow the theoretical selection wood as illustrated in 

 the working of the silver fir forests of the Alps. Foresters in 

 India and France have modified the selection system to suit the 

 silvicultural requirements of a light demanding species. A com- 

 parison of the latest system of management for the Corsican pine 

 with that laid down for selection forests in the working plans for 

 Kulu and Chakrata Cantonment, and the transition system for 

 the North Kheri forests will show that exactly the same conclu- 

 sions have bean arrived at. The shelterwood system has had to 

 be abandoned in Corsica on account of the immense fire hazard ; 

 this same system while admittedly the best for the chir pine has 

 been seriously hampered by incendiarism, so much so that if this 

 fire damage is to continue the whole system of management for 

 these forests may have to be recast and we may have to return to 

 management under selection principles. 



The details of the treatment of the Corsican forests will be of 

 interest to Indian foresters and is reproduced below from Woolsey's 

 French Forests and Forestry. 



" The selection system finally adopted is essentially a group 

 selection of cutting where little holes are made in the stand. 

 It is regular enough to warrant thinnings and yet irregular enough 

 to avoid the extreme fire dangers of even-aged stands. An 

 unpublished official description of the system in use is as follows : 

 " Since every pine is essentially a light demanding species, in 

 order to obtain natural regeneration light is necessary for the 



