40 PROTECTION OF WOODLANDS. 



belt when the former is cleared away. Although undoubtedly 

 sound in principle, this system of strengthening young crops by 

 cutting them free from the shelter of older woods has, up to the 

 present, not enjoyed any very extensive or general adoption. 



When fixing the period of rotation of a forest, that is to say, the 

 particular age at which any crop shall be utilised, it should be 

 borne in mind that, with increasing age, the danger from storms 

 is also essentially increased, and particularly that the number of 

 sickly and rotten stems gets larger as the crop grows older, and con- 

 sequently tends likewise to augment the danger from stormy winds.- 



Two other methods may also be mentioned here in conclusion, 

 which have as yet found application only exceptionally, but have 

 hitherto proved useful, namely the lopping of the crowns of trees 

 at the edge of the wood, and forming stone walls or heaping stones 

 along the ground above the roots on the outer edge. The applica- 

 tion of these means is based on the observation that storms are 

 especially destructive wherever they have formerly formed blanks 

 in the crops, so that it is essentially important to try and secure 

 the stability of the trees at the windward edge of such blanks 

 and interruptions of the canopy ; and this security of the trees at 

 the edge has practically been attained in Spruce woods with shallow 

 root- system, by loading the roots on the windward side with a 

 heavy mass of stones. A couple of strong poles were first of all 

 placed over the roots, then cross pieces of 3^- feet along the poles, 

 and again a couple of long poles, and on this framework large 

 stones and bits of rock lying about on the ground were piled 

 up to a height of 1| to 3j feet. The windward trees and those 

 immediately behind them were at the same time lopped at one- 

 third of their height above the ground, so as to shorten the lever- 

 age obtainable by the wind ; a similar measure was carried out on 

 several individual trees standing further back, but towering high 

 above their neighbours. As already remarked, the success of both 

 measures was highly satisfactory. 



25. Remedial Measures after the Occurrence of Damage. 



The chief measures to be adopted after considerable damage 

 has been caused by a storm are, so far as concerns the utilisation 

 and disposal of the timber, and the treatment to be accorded to 

 the damaged crops, in the main the same as have already been de- 



