WORKING PLANS AND CULTURAL METHODS 129 



with a sufficiently thick bed of humus. It is in good condition 

 for growth. The stand consists of very even-aged Corsican 

 pine poles of about 60 years. This stand of poles is topped all 

 over the compartment by quite a number of old trees which 

 should be cut to free the underwood, for the understory is dense 

 and only a few old trees can be cut at one felling. 



A sHghtly later working plan ^^ followed this outline: 



Name, location, chmate, boundaries, area, quarries, drainage, 

 game, forest houses, roads and trails, topography and soil, 

 species and their condition. Rights, trespass, patrol, marketing 

 timber, sale, price, minor products. Forest description empha- 

 sizing soil and stand, recapitulation (a general review of the 

 stand). Under the general felling plan is included data on the 

 system of cutting, "chances," rotation, periods and periodic 

 block, formation of the first periodic block, special regulation 

 of felling for the first period, sequence of feUings, yield, reserve 

 (of growing stock or yield), carrying out the working plan. 

 Recent working plans in Corsica follow more closely the methods 

 and outlines used in France. 



Object of Management. — The early authors of working 

 plans based their recommendations upon the need of disposing 

 of the overmature trees (excess growing stock in many cases), 

 the practical logging requirements necessitating a large cut on 

 account of the high cost of road construction and in order to 

 regularize the stands for management under the shelterwood 

 system. What strikes one as rather unfortunate is the almost 

 total lack of accurate local growth study upon which to base 

 conclusions. In order to secure large cuts no systematic attempt 

 has been made to secure an annual sustained yield; a periodic 

 cut has usually been recommended. 



System of Cutting ^ Shelterwood. — The shelterwood system 

 of cutting was first selected as being best adapted to the Corsican 

 pine. There were extensive areas of even-aged stands, the top 

 story often mature and over-mature. What could be more 

 natural than the prompt removal of these old trees in order to 

 free the understory and to secure a large cut? These methods, 

 " For the forest of Marmano, dated Feb. 4, i860. 



