238 THE WORKINO SCHEME IN COMPOUND COPSES. 



According to this Rule the coupes should succeed each other 

 in the direction contrary to that of dangerous winds. Its observ- 

 ance acquires great importance in copses with standards. The 

 reason is evident, for the reserved trees, being completely and all 

 at once isolated at each exploitation, run the risk of being uproot- 

 ed or snapped in two by the wind or damaged by the breaking oiF 

 of some of the principal branches. Now, it is a fact established by 

 experience that the majority of the trees blown down or injured 

 by the wind in Compound Coppice coupes suffer in this manner the 

 very year in which the coupe is exploited and also in the following 

 year. 



If, therefore, the coupe under exploitation is protected by old 

 copse with all its numerous standards, the injuries caused by the 

 wind can in most cases be entirely prevented ; and if, besides this, 

 the coupe is narrow, the protection becomes in every respect com- 

 plete. Lastly, when it is possible, by exploiting the forest on each 

 side of the same road or path in alternate years, to maintain this 

 protection during the space of two years, the safety of all the stan- 

 dards, to whatever class they belong, is assured in the most effec- 

 tive manner during these two critical years of their existence. It 

 is unnecessary to add that the last coupe exploited in a canton 

 situated on the edge of a forest and directly exposed to dangerous 

 winds may be protected by means of numerous roeerves forming to- 

 gether a curtain along the boundary, and composed principally of 

 trees capable of resisting the wind, like border beeches, for instance, 

 in France. This is a detail of cultural work, which the Organisa- 

 tion Project need only recommend in a general manner. 



The Working Scheme for a Circle of copse with standards does 

 not assure to any great extent a sustained yield or equality ia the 

 annual outturn. This inequality is unavoidable, owing to the dif- 

 ferences to be always met with, in going from one coupe to the next, 

 in the constitution of their chief element, the reserve. This Work- 

 ing Scheme, to say the truth, is nothing better than an incomplete 

 framework, which collects into a single scheme the exploitation of 

 the most diverse crops. But the selection of the trees to reserve 

 always affords an opportunity for working each individual crop in 

 the happiest manner possible, according to the resources it offers- 

 A few special details of work, which the Organisation Project may 



