FELLING BY SELECTION. 89 







sible to subdivide the Division into blocks, that 

 the bulk of the teak or other valuable timber in 

 each block should be of approximately uniform 

 age, the disadvantages of perpetuating the system 

 of felling by selection should not be lost sight of. 

 First, it spreads operations over immense areas, a 

 matter of far greater importance in our immense 

 Indian divisions than in a German forest charge, 

 which rarely exceeds five thousand acres. Secondly, 

 although favourable to the growth of large timber, 

 it is not favourable to the growth of tall timber. 

 Thirdly, mature trees cannot be felled without 

 damage to younger trees. Further, the collection of 

 scattered logs over the whole forest area, and work- 

 ing them out singly, is not only expensive and 

 difficult, but causes incalculable damage to the 

 young seedlings ; and, finally, there is a difficulty 

 in so apportioning the fellings to the increment, 

 as to maintain permanently the status quo of the 

 forest; and should the working-plan be based on 

 estimates above the mark, its provisions cannot be 

 carried out save at the cost of rapid, although at 

 first imperceptible, degeneration both of standing 

 crop and rate of increment. 



