126 THE MANAGEMENT OF WOODLANDS. 



As the woodland area is the only factor that remains fixed 

 and unalterable, this serves as the main basis for any good 

 .scheme of management. But as the condition and the dis- 

 tribution of the various timber-crops (as to age-classes, density, 

 rate of growth, &c.) may vary considerably from a normal 

 condition, the subdivision of the woodlands into approximately 

 equal annual or periodic falls cannot of itself secure a more 

 or less equal annual yield ; and so the condition of the growing 

 timber- crops must also be considered, and especially the con- 

 dition of those coming to the fall within the next 20 years 

 (I. Period). 



The total woodland area having been divided into compart- 

 ments and working-circles, and the method of treatment of the 

 latter having been determined, the area needed for each working- 

 circle is divided into as many periodic sections (usually of 20 years 

 each) as are contained in the rotation ; and such proportionate 

 area of the working-circle is allotted to each of these periods 

 as seems to consist of the most suitable crops, and to lead towards 

 attaining a normal succession of annual falls in the direction 

 against wind. This periodic division by area enables one to 

 estimate, as nearly as is practicable, the yield of the falls during 

 the first two periods, and to equalise the fall annually throughout 

 each of these two periods, while considering the actual con- 

 ditions of the crops coming to the fall within each. 



As the proportion of different age-classes is important, a 

 register of crops has to be drawn up showing the distribution of 

 the different age-classes in each working-circle. These details 

 having been registered in a tabular form which shows also the 

 full crop-description, area, quality of land, age of crop, and 

 present? cubic contents and annual increment per acre, a felling- 

 plan is made, allotting the various areas to the age-classes or 

 periods to which they properly belong ; but special consideration 

 is given to the maturing crops in the first period, and for this 

 purpose the first period, I., of 20 years is divided into two 



