340 NATURAL REGENERATION BY SEED. 



flowering, and, in some instances, even the mere appearance of the 

 inflorescence buds, which may, after a little practice, be readily 

 recognised from purely foliage buds by their larger size and greater 

 fulness. These are many contingencies, such as fires, attacks of 

 insects, frost and adverse weather influences, which may render the 

 most abundant flowering abortive, but, ordinarily, expectation will 

 not be entirely disappointed, especially if the process of fructifica- 

 tion is a rapid one and occurs at a favourable time of the year, as 

 in the case of most of the species just enumerated. 



When the object of opening out the leaf-canopy is, besides 

 admitting light for the benefit of the future seedlings, also to help 

 fructification, then the felling must perforce be made as soon as 

 the inflorescence buds make their appearance. 



Some species seed abundantly almost every year, although very 

 much more so in occasional favourable years than in others, e. g. 

 teak, sal, Acacia, arabica and Catechu, 8fc. Others, although they 

 seldom fail to produce some seed annually, yet seed profusely at 

 regular or irregular intervals, e. g. Pinus longifolia, deodar, &c.; 

 while others again seed only gregariously and then extremely 

 abundantly after the lapse of many years, there being no seeding, or 

 next to none, during the intervening period, e. g. Hardivickia binata, 

 Dendrocalamus strictiis, &c. It is a fact worthy of special note that, 

 even in the case of the first group of species, seeds produced in 

 years of great profusion not only possess more vitality and produce 

 stronger plants, but germinate more freely and in much larger 

 proportion than those produced in intermediate years. This differ- 

 ence is most conspicuous in the case of the third class of species 

 mentioned above. Hence, for every species without exception, the 

 absolute necessity of limiting the seed-felling to the years of pro- 

 fuse or gregarious fructification, as the case may be. 



In a mixed crop, the year for felling should be fixed with special 

 or exclusive reference to the principal species, and if there is more 

 than one such species, with special reference to the most valuable 

 of them or to the one which is required in greatest abundance or to 

 that one which is most difficult to regenerate. 



In conclusion, it is necessary to add that, however careful and 

 cautious one may be in selecting the year for making the seed- 

 felling, the judgment may sometimes be deceived, or at least ex- 

 pectations may not be fully realised, in which case a second seed- 

 felling may have to be made on the very next favourable occasien 

 that offers. This will especially happen in mixed forefct containing 



