JARDINAQE OR THE SELECTION METHOD. 367 



SECTION IV. 

 Jardinage or the Selection Method. 



Description of the. method. In this method one or two, some- 

 times even more, trees axe taken out from various points scattered 

 over the entire forest or, if the forest is large,, over a considerable 

 portion of it, wherever the advance- growth or the condition of the 

 forest requires their removal. There is thus never any point of time 

 at which the original crop can be said to- have ceased to exist and 

 to have been replaced by a new generation and the process of rege- 

 neration is not, as in other methods, confined to a. definite period, 

 but is intended to go on without any intermission except what 

 necessarily results from an intermittence in the production of 

 seed. The consequence of such procedure is that the various age- 

 classes get all inextricably intermixed and no rotation for the 

 crop is possible. The essence of the method is never to imcover 

 the ground, and hence the rule is to permit only the slightest 

 opening out of the leaf-canopy, anywhere, consistent with the 

 appearance, establishnrent and growth of the new seedlings. 



In every high forest left to itself numerous patches of advance- 

 growth always malce their appearance (i) under-old; trees whose- 

 crowns have begun to contract and become lighter, (ii) in the- 

 midst of an open crop of large- poles, and (iii) wherever else, 

 owing to any other cause, the conditions of light and cover are 

 favourable. It is over such patches of advance growth that the 

 jardinage fellings are chiefly made. The opening out of the leafi- 

 canopy over each patch, not only encourages the- development of 

 the seedlings composing it, but has also the^ effect, thanks to lateral 

 illumination, of causing it to- extend itself in every direction. 

 Thus the question of lateral illumination acquires far- more imporfc- 

 ance here than even in the group method. The size- of the gap& 

 to be made in the leaf-canopy will in any case depend mainly oq 

 the extent and condition of the patches- of advance gro-wth, on the 

 nature of the species, on the mildness or severity of the climate,, 

 on the character of the soil, and, in, hilly country, also on the steep.- 

 ness of the gradients and liability to- landslips and erosion. The 

 more unfavourable prevailing conditions are for the maintenance 

 and growth of forests and especially for the appearance and 

 establishment of new reproduction, the smaller must the gaps be, 

 and in extreme cases not more than a single tree may be taken 

 out from any point, even where the crop is dense. 



The trees to fell will include (a) those that are dead, dying or 



