TRANSITION, ETC. 99 



shall by and by find it impossible to maintain the 

 outcome. 



The transition from any of the afore-named con- 

 ditions to such a condition as will enable us to 

 work the forest by rotation of area, requires much 

 more thought ; the possible variation of conditions 

 extends over a wide range, and every such variation 

 requires a more or less special treatment. The 

 general idea to be kept in mind is that of such a 

 gradual transition as will admit of the end being 

 attained by the sacrifice of as little present revenue 

 as needs be ; but improvement of system is a future 

 gain, which must be paid for with a present price. 



TRANSITION FROM COPPICE. 



In the chapter on coppice it was seen that, dur- 

 ing the first thirty years of its growth in Europe, 

 the yield is greater than from seedling stems, but 

 that after that period the latter take the lead, 

 increasing rapidly in annual production, while in 

 the coppice there is a rapid falling off, the incre- 

 ment becoming almost imperceptible at sixty to 

 seventy years. But this is not necessarily true of 

 India ; and although we want data for determining 

 the comparative rates of growth of seedling and 

 coppice stems at all ages, there is ample data to 

 support the conclusion that both sal and teak 

 coppice will grow into good-sized timber ; but, 



