CHAPTER III 



ORGANISATION OF SELECTION-WORKED FORESTS 



UNDER TRANSFORMATION INTO REGULAR 



HIGH F0RESTS.1 



A silver fir forest subjected for a long time to judiciaus treat- 

 ment by Selection offers a very simple case of an irregular high 

 forest. Trees of every age from the youngest to the oldest being all 

 mixed up together everywhere, the irregularity is of a uniform 

 character throughout the forest, and the climate and soil then serve 

 chiefly or solely as a guide in the formation of the compartments. 

 The state of the crop, since its composition and density and the 

 utter confusion of ages are generally the same everywhere, cao 

 influence the operation only in a secondary or even exceptional 

 manner. As forests worked by Selection are usually situated in 

 hilly or mountainous country, the configuration of the ground becomes 

 a matter of great importance and it seldom happens that it does not 

 indicate in a clear and definite manner a natural series of compart- 

 ments. As the division into compartments is thus founded on the 

 constant factors of production, it follows that it possesses a character 

 of permanence. 



The formation of the Working Circles is independent of what 

 is usually the most difficult condition to satisfy in that operation 

 viz : a proper distribution of the age groups, for all the different 

 ages are necessarily mixed up together everywhere. But it may be 

 found expedient, before everything else, to separate from the mass of 

 the forest those portions in which the Selection System must be 

 maintained. By reason, say, of its elevated situation or of th© 

 absence of shelter, a forest may sometimes contain certain portions 



(1.) This Chapter refers in a special manner to our silver fir forests that 

 were formerly worked by Selection. The transformation of pine foresta is aa 

 event of rarer occurrence, and ia besides a less difficult matter. 



