J.0 THE VOLUMETRIC MElfioJJ. 



the old iimuci ..X.1 have disappeared and the felling operations will 

 then perforce include trees still far removed from their maturity^ 

 Thus all the various systems founded on the Volumetric Method 

 subordinate the production of the most useful timber to the 

 condition of assuring a sustained yield. 



Tlie same is the case as regards the treatment ©f the ftfrestji 

 since these systems lead to the regeneration of some of the crops 

 either too early or too late (both unfavourable conditions), and to 

 the execution in them of Improvement Operations either in 

 complete uncertainty as to the time for their regeneration, or, in the 

 contrary case, in view of Kegeneration Fellings to be made at some 

 time other than that of their maturity. Now, in our high forests 

 of the more valuable species, the treatment, and the cultural 

 operations which this treatment requires, are often of far greater 

 importance than the mere equalization of the yield. It is thus ia 

 our oak forests, in our numerous irregular high forests, in our silver 

 fir forests which were formerly worked by Selection, and especially 

 so in our copses under conversion into high forestsj In principle, 

 therefore, the Volumetric Method is radically defective. 



The Volutnetric Method has never been adopted iii France . 

 It had its rdison. d'etre in Germany at the end of the letst fcentury. 

 The forests there were in those days very irregular, and frequently 

 contained no well marked gradation of age-classes. A great 

 number of these were high forests abounding chiefly in beech, 

 and belonging to petty principalities. They furnished a very 

 considerable proportion of the receipts of the prinCe's exchequer. 

 It was impossible to subject them to the Natural Method with the 

 annual exploitations based on area, without compromising very con- 

 siderably the equality of the annual returns. Besides the advantage 

 of securing this equality, so necessary in such forests, Hsirtig's method 

 of forest organisation possessed another great merit : it Was the first 

 step towai-ds the regular organisation of high forests. Its inherent 

 defects were soon discovered; its application, and criticism of the re- 

 sults obtained, showed at one and the same time these defects and 

 the manner of correcting them. The Method of Forest Organisation 

 by Area followed as a necessary consequence. This method has been 

 formulated and developed in France according to the special 

 hecessities of our forests, and has been taught at ouf Forest Schodl 

 for many and many a year. 



