RULES FOR LOCATING CUTTINGS. 193 



south and west. They are violent and frequently 

 accompanied with heavy rain, which soaks the soil 

 and diminishes the stability of the trees. Hence 

 felling operations should begin from the north and 

 east. But local conditions may modify the general 

 rule. For instance on the Mediterranean coast be- 

 tween Beziers and the Spanish frontier, violent and 

 rain-bearing winds may blow from the east. Again 

 in certain valleys, the spur of a mountain or hill may 

 change the original direction of the wind. Such 

 circumstances must be taken into account in deter- 

 mining the direction in which the successive cuttings 

 ought to follow each other. In the absence of other 

 indications, it is always easy to ascertain for a given 

 locality the quarter from which dangerous winds 

 blow, by observing on what side trees He when they 

 are blown down. 



When the cuttings reach the edge of the forest 

 struck directly by the wind, it is always necessary to 

 leave a protecting belt which must be constantly 

 kept well stocked and worked by selection. The 

 breadth of this belt will vary with the violence of the 

 wind, but under any circumstances to be of any real 

 use it can seldom be under 100 yards. 



It may happen that owing to former exploitations 

 the oldest crop is situated exactly on the windward 

 side of the forest. In such a case felling operations 

 must of course be undertaken there, but nothing 

 prevents our observing the desired order over at leas 

 the area under this crop. And here again the neces- 

 sity presents itself of preserving on the selection 

 method a protecting band of sufficient breadth. 



