THE THREE GREAT SYSTEMS OF REGENERATION COMPARED. 



407 



Artificial Regeneration. 



Natural Regeneration 



Seed. 



by Regeneration ly Coppice. 



tion of work, we see that 

 the coppice system is the 

 cheapest of all. 



14. The high cost of re- 

 generation makes the system 

 suitable only where quick 

 results are desired owing to 

 ail active demand and high 

 prices. 



1 5. Unsuited, by reason 

 of the uniformity of 

 growth, for the reconstitu- 

 tion of mixed forests, 

 except such as are compos- 

 ed of not more than two 

 strong gregarious species 

 which are also the most 

 valuable. 



16. Owing to (3) (5) and 

 (6), exploitations, i.e., the 

 extent of the coupes, can, 

 within the capability of 

 the forest, be exactly ap- 

 portioned to the most fluc- 

 tuating demand. 



17. Artificial regenera- 

 tion, when undertaken after 

 a clear-felling (see introduc- 

 tory remarks at opening of 

 Chapter), gives unchecked 

 play to froat, drought, 

 insolation, winds, &c. ; so 

 that where, as over ex- 

 tensive regions of India, 

 climatic extremes prevail 

 and the soil is dry and hard 

 during the greater part of 

 the year and rapidly 

 deteriorates, the system 

 would generally be inap- 

 plicable, except at a cost 

 that would be deterrent 

 even with a very active 

 demand and very high, 

 prices. 



As the demand for tim- 

 ber increases and prices 

 rise, a point is reached after 

 which, except in a very 

 favourable soil and climate, 

 natural regeneration by 

 seed must result in finan- 

 cial loss. 



Par excellence the system 

 for reconstituting mixed 

 forests. 



Suitable in any condi- 

 tion of the market, provid- 

 ed the demand includes 

 only such classes of pro- 

 duce as coppice can furnish. 



More unsuited for mixed 

 forests than even artificial 

 regeneration, especially if 

 one of the species produces 

 also root suckers. 



18. Thanks to the rapid 

 growth of the plants weeds 

 can be early suppressed. 



Gives least elasticity of 

 all to the annual exploita- 

 tions, for the smallest 

 quantity that can be cut 

 must be sufficient to effect 

 the removal of every com- 

 ponent crop before it gets 

 beyond the coppicing age. 



Regeneration by coppice 

 necessarily involves a per- 

 iodically-recurring uncover- 

 ing of the soil and its con- 

 sequent temporary dete- 

 rioration and possession by 

 masterful weeds. Hence, 

 if the soil is very poor or 

 naturally very dry, or the 

 rainfall very slight and the 

 climate otherwise very dry, 

 or the cold very severe, or 

 enow heavy, or the ground 

 steep or inclined to slip, 

 and so on, there the cop- 

 pice system is to be avoid- 

 ed. But it is right to state 

 that, excluding the higher 

 and inner Himalayas, cop- 

 pice in India grows up at 

 buch a pace that its in- 

 feriority to selfsown high 

 forest in respect of the con- 

 ditions here discussed is 

 not by any means so 

 marked as in Europe. 



The slow growth of the Weeds suppressed more 

 Seedlings in blanks and in quickly, than in any other 

 clear fellings readers the system of regeneration in 



Except in jardinage, the 

 felling cannot be regulated 

 in accordance with an ir- 

 regular demand, that is 

 constantly subject to very 

 wide and sudden fluctua- 

 tion. 



While securing natural 

 regeneration by seed, the 

 leaf-canopy can be main- 

 tained as full as we like, 

 thus giving complete protec- 

 tion to the seedlings and 

 the soil. Hence self-sow- 

 ing offers the only means 

 of regenerating forests, 

 where prevailing condi- 

 tions are exceptionally 

 unfavourable, as over so 

 wide and extent of India. 



