232 SELECTION OF STANDARDS. 



does not appear to be susceptible of further and continuous increase 

 throughout the whole of the next Rotation at the customary rate of 

 profits required by investors in forest property. By selecting a few 

 promising trees, from among the standards of each class and com- 

 paring with each other the mean values of the Standards of the 

 several classes, we are enabled to estimate with sufficient approxi- 

 mation the profit or loss for the proprietor resulting from the further 

 preservation for one Rotation of standards of each of the several 

 classes, and thus to determine at what age the reserved trees should 

 be felled, i 



But if in this comparative estimate it be found that the oak 

 Standards generally become exploitable at the end of their fourth 

 Rotation, are we to infer theUce that it is the interest of the pro* 

 prietor to fell every one of his standards of the third class ? We 

 say, No ; for amongst these trees there must always be a certain 

 number, which, being endowed with exceptional vigour, increase 

 in size much more rapidly than their contemporaries. Such trees, 

 belonging to the species oak, may be distinguished at once by their 

 general aspect — an ample and well-furnished crown, dense foliage 

 and superior girth ; thus they may measure 2 feet across, while the 

 rest of the same class are not more than 20 inches in diameter. 

 The consequence is that, cubic foot for cubic foot, they command 

 higher prices. It happens in nearly every case that it is advan- 

 tageous for the proprietor to preserve them for another Rotation, 

 and this not only on their own proper account and because of the 

 very considerably augmented value they must acquire, but because 

 they will furnish at the next exploitation fine large timber of a 

 class that is always in great demand, and which can hence never 

 fail to draw a much larger number of purchasers than if the fall 

 Consisted only of small wood. On the other hand, it frequently 

 happens that there would be loss in preserving badly grown or 

 unpromising young trees, and, above all, inferior standards of the 

 first class. 



The coQclusions to draw from the preceding considerations 

 ardj firstly, that the trees to be exploited in each coupe should not 

 be ifldicated in advande in the Plan of Selection of Reserves, as 

 belonging to such and such a class ; and, secondly, that the ques- 



(1) See example given at page 108, Footnote. 



