106 THE MANAGEMENT OF WOODLANDS. 



a number of years as may be included. in periodic falls (and 

 usually of 20 annual falls) for natural regeneration (e.g., Beech 

 .and Silver Fir). The' series .of i falls need not succeed one 

 another consecutively like one; long arithmetical progression ; 

 but they must be all represented within the area under man- 

 agement (working circle), otherwise a regularly sustained annual 

 fall is impossible. Some sort of Working Plan or definite 

 Scheme of Management is therefore necessary in order to get 

 : woods into such a condition that they will yield the largest 

 profit consistent with due security for future maintenance 

 unless the woods are intended for ornament or game coverts, 

 ,as is often the case in Britain, or when business principles 

 are not applied. 



A Working Plan aims at bringing all the woods into a 

 sort of ideal state or normal condition, which would consist in 

 (1) a normal succession of crops or regular series of woods of 

 all ages from seedling up to mature tree, each age-class occupy- 

 ing an equal or equally productive area (2) a normal density 

 or full stock throughout the whole of each such area ; (3) a 

 normal increment or rate of growth of all the various crops, so 

 that the annual increment throughout each age-class is fully 

 proportionate to the quality of the soil and the situation ; and 

 (4) a normal distribution of the Annual falls, the crops of 

 various ages being so arranged that falls can take place regu- 

 larly within suitable areas, although not necessarily in close 

 succession year by year. Given these four conditions, the 

 result would be (l)-fl normal grovring-stock or capital in wood, 

 with a regular series of annual or periodic falls distributed 

 over the working-circle, and (2) a normal increment proportion- 

 ate'to the quality of the land, and producing equal returns , in 

 timber year by year. I .;.;,. 



As regards (1) normal age-classes, say 2000. acres : of wood are 

 worked with a rotation of 1QQ years, then; (if all the land were 

 of equal quality) there should be 20 acres each of crops from ;1 



