CHiPTEE II. 



ORGANISATION OF SIMPLE COPSES. 



The organisation of a copse is often: regardisd as a more or less 

 mechanical operation, consisting simply in the division of the forest 

 into regularly worked coupes in accordance with local usage. 



This is an error grea^ tabe dbploredin-a country, the greater 

 porportion of the forest of which is treated as copse. The result of 

 this erroneous belief is seen in the enormous loss of produce and 

 income unconsciously incurred by a large number of proprietors, 

 ■whose forests, aUthough laid out in regularly werhed coupes, are- 

 nevertheless badly organised. For instance, some of them are 

 exploited at the age of 20 years, whereas, if maintained up to the 

 age of 30 years, their yield! would be doubled ; others again are 

 treated as simple copses, when they ought to be worked as com- 

 pound copses. 



In nearly every copse, we find ready to hand a complete series- 

 of compartments eompletely defined on the ground both by the divi- 

 sion lines between coupes already exploited, and. by roads, paths,, 

 watercourses, and other natural lines. The first thing to do is to 

 survey and map- out these compartments^, or at least make a sketch. 

 map of them, in order to enable the Amdnagiste to examine and de-- 

 scribe the various crops and' group them into Working Circles. 



In forming the Workiag Circles- care must be taken, to avoid 

 making them too large. In, most cases, it wilLbe found advantageous 

 to limit the area of the annual coupes so as to distribute the icU 

 lings in the- most conyenient manner possible ; and in this respect . 

 it is desirable, if not always, at least in the majority of instances,, 

 to consult the interest* and convenience of the local timber tradej 



