Formation of Compartments. 63 



of 4 inches to 1 mile; in wlilch | inch on the map is equal to one fur- 

 long on the ground, is very coavenient.i With the aid of the 

 Boundary Plan the relative positions of different points, the lengths 

 of the natural and artificial lines and the approximate area of any 

 portion can be ascertained at once. The Plan is extremely useful 

 at every instant, and one may say, at every step made in the forest. 

 It is the true guide of the Amdnagiste — not, however, because it ser- 

 ves chiefly to enable him to find his way about, but really because 

 it directs his work and gives, in his mind, a locality to every fact 

 that he observes on the ground. But it is after all only a guide. It 

 is therefore enough if it is only approximately correct, there is no 

 necessity for it to be rigorously accurate. 



The Boundary Plan may be obtained on application to the Central 

 Forest Office, if it possesses a map of the forest in question, that can 

 be copied, enlarged or reduced. In the absence of such a map, one 

 may be compiled from the village plans, if they are sufficiently ac- 

 curate, which is seldom the case. As a last resource, a rapid survey 

 of the boundaries and principal lines may be made. This last is often 

 the best course to follow when the forest taken in hand is of limited 

 extent, in which case this preliminary survey would be sufficient for 

 the construction of the map that has to accompany the Organisation 

 Project. 



§ 2. Division into Compartments. 



Having the Boundary Plan the Amdnagisto may now proceed 

 at once to examine the forest and form the Compartments. 



A Compartment is a portion of forest that is homogeneous 

 throughout its extent in respect of the great factors of production 

 viz. Climate, Soil and Standing Stock. The climate of a given for- 

 est may be diiferent in its different parts according to elevation, as- 

 pect, shelter or exposure and, in a word, according to all the various 

 elements which together constitute the situation of a place. Soils 

 differ from one another by their composition itself, which may be 



(1) The scale suggested by the Author is-—-—, in which 1 centimetre on 

 the map represents 200 metres on tlie ground The scale adopted in the Trans- 

 lation is -— -T and is thus rather larger than the former, but is perhaps more 

 convenient for our purpose. ^Traualator.) 



