METHODS OF TREATMENT. 155 



orders to the local Conservator for carrying out the provisions of 

 the plan, with such modifications as it may deem desirable. If 

 any difference of opinion between the Local Government and the 

 Inspector-General cannot be amicably arranged, the Government 

 of India passes final orders on it. 



4. Methods of Treatment. 

 The original system of managing high forest in India is that of 

 Selection Fellings. The forests are gone over periodically, mature 

 trees removed and so-called improvement cuttings added, that 

 is to say, unmarketable species, which interfere with the valuable 

 kinds, are girdled or cut down. The result is that the annual 

 work is scattered over very large areas, and in the majority of cases 

 results were anything but satisfactory. As early as 1868, the 

 author proposed more concentrated ivorking of the Burmese teak 

 forests, but the proposal was at that time rejected. When the 

 author held the position of Inspector-General of Forests he 

 selected the Tano forests in the Dehra Dun for a trial of concen- 

 trated working according to the system known as the " Uniform or 

 Compartment System." Later on the adoption of more rational 

 systems, based upon the silvicultural requirements of the species 

 and of their regeneration, found more favour, and quite recently 

 the subject has been vigorously taken up by the late Inspector- 

 General, Mr. Hart, and especially by the Assistant Inspector- 

 General, Mr. Troup (both former pupils of the author). This, it 

 may safely be said, is likely to become another epoch-making 

 step in the management of the Indian forests. The improved 

 systems are being introduced cautiously, and the areas treated 

 under them are as yet small, as the following data will show : — 



Square Miles. 



System of Clear Felling .... 263 



The Uniform Compartment System 



The Group System .... 



Selection Method with Improvement Fellings 



Simple Coppice ..... 



Coppice with Standards 



Method of Improvement Cutting only . 



Unallotted ...... 



Total 



552 



95 



15,914 



1,009 



7,060 



12,254 



15,955 



53,102 



