PURE CnOP OF MIXED AGES. 31 



from companions of their own species diflferently derived from them- 

 selves. 



VIII. Eelative EAPIDITT OF GROWTH. — Whatever has been 

 said under this head in the First Case appHes here without any re- 

 servation or modification. It hence follows that seedlings are, as 

 long as they have not yet entered the phase of rapid upward growth 

 and are still small enough to be caught up by coppice-shoots, liable 

 at any time to be thrown back or completely suppressed by these 

 latter. Suckers are of course very much more dangerous than 

 etool-shoots by reason of their continuously rapid growth, which 

 suffers no relaxation almost until they attain their full height, es- 

 pecially if the parent tree is still standing. For this reason also 

 suckers may get the better of stool-shoots older than them- 

 selves. But it is evident that cuhns enjoy the greatest advan- 

 tage of aU in this respect, for, since they complete the whole of 

 their upward development within a few weeks, other individuals, 

 to be -quite safe from them, must necessarily have attained a con- 

 siderable or even very great height, varying from a few feet to 100 

 feet and more, according to the species of bamboo concerned. 



GENERAL CONCLUSIONS. 

 From the considerations developed in the discussion of the two 

 preceding cases it results that, other circumstances being the same, 

 the leaf-canopy wiU always be more complete and the soil better 

 protected when the individual ages of the trees composing a pure 

 crop are different than when they are uniform or very nearly 

 uniform ; for should a tree from any cause whatsoever disappear 

 or get broken, there are always smaller ones of various sizes under 

 it ready to take its place or fill up any gap it leaves. Thus with a 

 noticeable difference of individual ages, the production of the soil 

 will be greater, the trees will be straighter and taller, the fertility 

 of the soil better maintained and improved to a higher degree, and 

 the preservation, amelioration and regeneration of the crop more 

 easily and more certainly secured.^ 



Examples of the Second Case. 



Instances of the Second Case are abundantly offered by large 

 tracts of Pinus longifolia forest in the North-West Provinces and 

 the Punjab ; of babul in Northern India, in Sindh, and in the 

 Northern Deccan ; of khair and of sal in Northern and Central In- 

 dia ; of Hardwickla hinata in Central and Southern India ; of Mesua 

 ferrea in Assam ; of Acacia ntpestris and of Anogeissus pendula in 



