MINOR PRODUCE. 



2. Minor Produce. 



Apart from wood, forests yield a great variety of produce, such 

 as bark, especially for tanning, turpentine, rosin, rubber, gutta- 

 percha, catechu, numerous other dyestuffs, gums, pitch, tar, oils 

 of various kinds, vegetable fibres, lac, honey, wax, bamboos, canes, 

 leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, grass, moss, peat, stones, various 

 valuable earths, game, and other items. 



In Europe the value of minor produce is sometimes estimated 

 at a low rate, hence the name of minor produce ; but even there 

 some of the items, such as grass, grazing, leaves and litter, are of 

 considerable importance to agriculture, especially in the poorer 

 districts. In many other parts of the world the minor produce is 

 frequently of much greater value than the wood produced in the 

 forests. 



Many of the minor j)roducts can be obtained without seriously 

 interfering with the production of wood, but in the case of some 

 this is not the case. Of the latter, the removal of litter is probably 

 the most important. Forest soil of poor and even middling 

 quality cannot stand the removal of Utter except perhaps once 

 every 6 to 10 years, as the annual removal would exhaust the 

 nourishing substances and deprive it of the protection against 

 injurious atmospheric influences. The result would be a great 

 reduction in the production of wood, if not complete sterility. 



Forest grazing is of importance in most parts of the world, and 

 its value is frequently very considerable, whether paid for or given 

 free. If properly regulated, so that areas under regeneration 

 and young woods are properly protected, its effect upon the 

 production of wood is small, but if such protection is not given, 

 great damage and even the destruction of whole woods may be 

 the consequence. 



The damage due to the utilization of turpentine differs much 

 according to species and the age of the trees when tapped. Any 

 damage resulting from it should at least be made good by the sale 

 of the turpentine and rosin. 



The lopping of trees for fodder is decidedly injurious ; except 

 in years of scarcity, it should not be permitted. 



To illustrate the relative importance of forest })roducts, an 

 abstract is given of the value of imports into the United Kingdom 

 in 191 :i the last complete year of returns before tlie war : — 



