ORGAXISITIOX OF SIMPLE COPSES. 22l 



the correppondiDg average annual receipts are respectivdj 6 sJiil- 

 lings, 8 shillingsand 10 shillings per acre, and the most advaatageous 

 Rotation would certainly be not less than 30 years. As a rule, the 

 average annual receipts go on increasing with the age of the crop, 

 and this, too, rapidly. And we may observe that Section 69 of the 

 Royal Edict promulgating the Forest Code, which Section applies 

 in the case in question by virtue of Section 134, directs that, 

 whenever possible, the lowest age at which a copse may be cut shall 

 be 25 years. And, as a fact, there is every advantage in lengthen- 

 ing the Rotation for the working ot simple copses belonging to 

 Communes up to the highest limit of age, at which the stools can 

 throw up vigorous and abundant shoots. In dry and shallow, and 

 hence bad, soils a simple copse in no ease yields much produce. In 

 moist and deep, and, therefore, good soils, abundant and valuable 

 material can be obtained by growing old copse. 



The Rotation being fixed, it now remains to draw up the 

 Working Scheme. The first thing to be done here is to divide the 

 Working Circle into coupes of equivalent productive power. The 

 expediency of this procedure has scarcely ever been contested, al- 

 though at first sight it might appear simply calculated to save the 

 Executive Forest Officer the trouble of measuring out his annual 

 coupes by actual sui-vey. But it is easy to understand that the 

 definite location of the coupes on the ground guarantees the 

 exploitation of each one of them at the right time, assures a greater 

 equality in the outturn of produce each year, establishes once for all 

 in a permament manner a regular order for the successive fellinors 

 and enables the eye as well as the judgment to recognise with 

 precision and clearness the desirability of certain improvement 

 works, when these should be undertaken, within what limits they 

 should be executed, and in what order they should be taken in hand. 

 Hence the expediency of effecting this primaiy division of the 

 forest area in the most advantageous manner possible. To this end 

 it is necessary first of all to ascertain what cantons are bounded by 

 natural lines, or what groups of compartments possess one and the 

 same situation and description of soil. This is the very keystone of 

 the whole division. The boundaries and topography of these can- 

 tons shoald then be entered on the map of the Working Circle 

 concerned, and their respective areas compnted ; after which each 

 canton should be divided into an integral number of equal coupes. 



