11 



decay, the average annual quantity of material produced is 

 not very much altered by the age at which the crop is felled. 



The following results were obtained from experiments made in a fir forest m 

 Frsnce: — 



Applying these results in respecb of a forest, of, say, 1,000 acres (wooded area), ex- 

 pbiited at 80 years in 80 annual coupes of 12-5 acres each, the yield would be 12-5 x 

 9,299 cubic feet, or 116,237 cubic feet a year; while the same forest similarly exploit- 

 ed at 120 years (the age of the highest average yield) would produce 8-3 X 16,755 

 cubic feet = 139,066 cubic feet. The increased yield would not in all cases justify 

 the retardation of the felling by 40 years. When, however, there is a demand for the 

 produce, the greater size of the timber might so enormously increase its value as to 

 justify felling at the more advanced age. Thus, the 116,237 cubic feet produced 

 yearly at 80 years might be worth only four annas aeubliofoot, oriu all B29,000, 

 while the large pieces, obtained from the deferred felling, might lead to an all-round rate 

 of 6 annas a cubic foot, and so raise the price of the timber produced yearly to more 

 than R52,000. Such examples .ire frequent in countries where there is an unlimited 

 demand for the whole of the produce of the forests, but do not often occur in India, 



The law of the increase in the value of the produce with 

 its size is not always true in India where there are few local 

 industries and sphere good roads for extracting the produce 

 rarely exist. In order that the rule may hold good there 

 must be a sufficient demand and the means for extraction 

 must be adequate. In the hills and out-of-the-way places 

 where forests are found in India, it is often impossible in 

 practice to work out large pieces of timber except at a pro- 

 hibitive cost. In such cases the means of transport is the 

 main factor in determining the size at which trees should be 

 felled. There are even cases where, owing to the trouble and 

 cost of converting into smaller pieces large timber which 

 is not required, the net price of large timber is actually 

 lower than that of small. 



When, howBTer, there is no demand for forest produce, especially for large timber, 

 this is generally owing to want of good roads. This defect can often be remedied by a 

 judicious outlay of funds, and should, wherever present, form the subject of cai-eful 

 investigation in connection with the preparation of the working-plan. 



