APPENDIX. XV 



It may safely be said that an excessive deposit of needles is 

 inimical to the regeneration of all coniferous trees ; indeed the 

 same thing has been found in the Kelheim State Forests of Bava- 

 ria and is weU known in Kulu, in both places steps are taken 

 to get rid of this deposit. Seed germinates readily in this loose 

 humus, but the seedlings cannot survive the hot weather in May 

 and June ; their slender roots cannot penetrate down to the mineral 

 soil and consequently with the drying out of this raw humus they 

 perish. The effect of clean mineral soil in stimulating regenera- 

 tion is well known. 



Collier states regarding sal in Haldwani : " The other factor 

 is the condition of the soil and by the term soil is signified the 

 surface soil which is solely concerned in the question of repro- 

 duction. There is much evidence to show that a soil of loose 

 texture particularly and of good physical qualities generally is 

 very receptive to regeneration. Results of the experiments with 

 soil wounding indicated that regeneration may be procured in great 

 quantities on a fresh soil." 



In order to produce conditions of soil suitable for the regenera- 

 tion of sal Collier propounds the system of burning the ground 

 leaf cover after the fall of the leaves in March, more especially 

 when a good seed year is expected. To any one acquainted with 

 the leathery nature of the sal leaf and with the struggles of the 

 seedling root to penetrate this almost impermeable stratum in 

 order to reach the mineral soil, the advantage of this procedure 

 will be obvious. 



This work has been done experimentally over considerable 

 areas in Ramnagar and Haldwani and this combined with the 

 admission of sufficient light, in accordance with Hole's researches, 

 is at present the foundation on which a system for the natural 

 regeneration of sal is being built up. 



In the case of the Himalayan conifers Trevor has standardised 

 the methods of soil preparation to follow the first seedling felling, 

 having come independently to exactly the same conclusions 



