THE SEED- FELLING IN THE UNIFORM METHOD. 839 



of trees that are about to come into full bearing and in the con- 

 version of the soil into a more or less good seed-bed. Now arises 

 the necessity (1) of giving the soil, which cannot but have deterio- 

 rated since the last preparatory felling, a final preparation, and (2) 

 of opening out the leaf-canopy for the benefit of the seedlings now 

 about to make their appearance, without however risking the 

 springing up of a mass of weeds and coppice-shoots, or the entry 

 of injurious atmospheric influences, or the conversion of the soil 

 into a breeding ground for destructive insects. This end it is the 

 object of the seed-felling to accomplish. 



But the seed-felling may sometimes be required to fulfil also 

 another object. Owing to the time allowed for preparation being 

 too short, or for any other reason, the crop may be too dense to 

 allow of abundant seeding. In that case, the seed-felling, by open- 

 ing out the leaf-canopy, must serve to encourage fructification. 



II. When to make the seed-felling. 



The great rule to follow is to allow only the shortest possible in- 

 terval to elapse between the conclusion of the felling and the 

 appearance of the new crop, so that the soil may not, in the mean- 

 while, have time to deteriorate or the leaf-canopy to become too close 

 again. Hence the seed-felling should be made only when a good 

 crop of seed has already formed or, if the time available for work 

 is limited, is at least indicated with certainty. 



The seeds of some species ripen many months before they can 

 germinate at the commencement of the next season of vegetation ; 

 e. g. teak, deodar, Pinus longifolia, Quercus incana, Hardwickia 

 binata, Terminalia tomentosa, Acacia modesta, Pterocarpus Marsu- 

 pium, the various Anogeissus, fyc. In regard to them the felling 

 should be made only after the seed has ripened, and, if the seed is 

 shed early enough, even after it has reached the ground. In the 

 former case the soil will be in the highest state of preparation 

 when the seed falls, in the latter the further great advantage will 

 accrue that the seeds will be pressed into the soil by the felling 

 and export operations ; and in either case, there will be no room 

 left for error as to the sufficiency and quality of the seeds, and 

 every tree will contribute its full quota towards the sowing of the 

 ground. 



When the time is too short to wait until the seeds are ripe or if the 

 season when the seeds ripen is unfavourable for felling and export 

 operations, as in the case of sal, Quercus seinecarpifolia and dilatata, 

 Mesua ferrea, eng, &c., the only indication to follow is the 



