472 LEAKING OF THE ESTABLISHED CROP. 



nings begins to dimmish after a certain limit of age has been 

 passed, which limit is of course different in different soils and in 

 different classes of forest. . 



(/) They induce early fertility and increase the production of 

 seed dy enabling the trees to develop a strong crown and affording 

 them more or less effective illumination. The result is the early 

 appearance of advance growth, whereby the regeneration of the 

 crop is singularly facilitated and the time required to obtain a 

 new crop is very appreciably shortened. 



(<?) They enable the forest proprietor, when trees bearing valu- 

 able flowers and fruit, such Terminalia Chebula and belerica, 

 Bassia latifolia and butyracea, &c., are present, to secure every 

 year, from an early age, a notfinconsiderable income from the sale 

 of minor produce. 



(/*) By stimulating the growth of the trees which are to com- 

 pose the exploitable crop, they shorten the rotation. 



(z) In a mixed forest they place in the hands of the forester the 

 most effective instrument he can have for securing any desired dis- 

 tribution of the various component species. 



(y) By regulating the density of the leaf-canopy, they exert a 

 potent influence on the degree of lignification of the timber in a 

 forest. 



(&) As a direct consequence of all the preceding advantages, 

 the financial position of the proprietor is improved in a very 

 remarkable manner, that is to say, his forest returns to him, as in- 

 terest on the capital sum which it represents, a very much larger 

 percentage than he would get if thinnings were altogether omitted. 



(T) They enable an owner requiring a steady income from year 

 to year, to make up deficiencies in the yield derived from other 

 fellings. And if the owner in any year suddenly wanted an en- 

 hanced income, thinnings would afford him the means of taking 

 out the additional outturn without hurting any portion of his 

 forest. 



II. Principles on which thinnings should be conducted. 



The individuals composing any crop may, according to the 

 vigour and fulness of their crowns, be grouped into the following 

 five easily distinguishable classes : 



I. OVERTOPPING TREES, possessing exceptionally well-developed 

 crowns and standing well above all the rest. 



II. DOMINANT TREES, possessing well developed crowns. As 

 a rule, these mainly form the leaf-canopy. 



