AUCTIONS 125 



Some 121,000,000 trees, of approximately 10 inches 

 diameter and over, at 4 feet 3 inches above ground, 

 therefore exist ; and, in the present exceptional cir- 

 cumstances, considerable fellings could be made to 

 remove old growing stock, ripe or over-ripe. Its 

 removal, with the additional transport facilities which 

 would doubtless in places require to be created, should 

 place the Department in a far better position, and in 

 a far shorter period of time than could have otherwise 

 been hoped, to take up the many interesting sylvi- 

 cultural questions which demand attention in these 

 forests. The trees in the State forests are usually 

 sold by auction standing, chiefly by the stem, but also 

 by volume. A deposit must be previously made by 

 bidders, which is forfeited if the bid is not completed. 

 The bids are submitted to a higher authority and may 

 be refused or accepted ; in the latter event the bidder 

 completes his payment before felling and extracting 

 the trees. These auctions for the big timber are 

 carried on in August at large centres. Smaller auctions, 

 at which the smaller material is disposed of, are held 

 locally as may be required. Even here the offers have 

 to be submitted to the district forest authority before 

 they can be accepted. The chief difference between 

 the two auctions, omitting the size of the timber, is 

 that for the small ma,terial one year only is allowed 

 between purchase and its removal from the area, 

 whereas for the larger timber two or more years may 

 be granted to the contractor to fell and extract the 

 trees purchased, these trees having previously been 

 marked by the forest staff. 



Latterly the Department has been working depart- 



