THE THREE GEEAT SYSTEMS OF REGENERATION COMPARED. 



d07 



, AHificial Segeneration. 



Natural Regeneration hy 



Seed. 



Regeneration hy Coppice. 



tion of work, we Bee that 

 the coppice system is the 

 cheapest of all 



14. The high cost of re- As the demand for tim- Suitable in any condi- 

 generationmakesthe system ber increases and prices tion of the market, proTid- 

 suitable only where quick rise, a point is reached after ed the demand includes 

 results are desired owing to which, except in a very 

 an active demand and high favourable soil and climate, 

 prices. natural regeneration by 



seed must result in finan- 

 cial loss. 



15. Unsuited, by reason Par excellence the system More unsuited for mixed 

 of the uniformity of for reconstituting mixed forests than even artificial 



forests. 



only such classes of pro- 

 duce as coppice can furnish. 



growth, for the reconstitu- 

 tion of mixed forests, 

 except such as are compos- 

 ed of not more than two 

 strong gregarious species 

 which are also the most 

 valuable. 



16. Owing to (3) (5) and 

 (6), exploitations, i.e., the 

 extent of the coupes, can, 

 within the capability of 

 the forest, be exactly ap- 

 portioned to the most fluc- 

 tuating demand. 



regeneration, especially if 

 one of the species produces 

 also root suckers. 



Gives least elasticity of 

 all to the annual exploita- 

 tions, for the smallest 

 quantity that can be cut 

 must be sufficient to effect 

 the removal of every com- 

 ponent crop before it gets 

 beyond the coppicing age. 



Regeneration by coppice 

 necessarily involves a per- 

 iodically-recurring uncover- 

 ing of the soil and its con- 

 sequent temporary dete- 

 rioration and possession by 

 masterful weeds. Hence, 

 if the sou is very poor or 

 naturally very dry, or the 

 rainfall very slight and the 

 climate otherwise very dry, 

 or the cold very severe, or 

 snow heavy, or the ground 

 steep or inclined to slip, 

 and so on, there the cop- 

 pice system is to be avoid- 

 ed. But it is right to state 

 that, excluding the higher 

 and inner Himalayas, cop- 

 pice in India grows up at 

 buch a pace that its in- 

 feriority to selfsown high 

 forest in respect of the con- 

 ditions here discussed is 

 not by any means so 

 marked as in Europe. 



18. Thanks to the rapid The slow growth of the Weeds suppressed more 

 growth of the plants weeds Seedlings in blanks and in quickly, than in any other 

 can be early suppressed. cleax fellings renders the system of regeneration in 



17. Artificial regenera- 

 tion, when undertaken after 

 a clear-felling (see introduc- 

 tory remarks at opening of 

 Chapter), gives unchecked 

 play to frost, drought, 

 insolation, winds, &c. ; so 

 that where, as over ex- 

 tensive regions of India, 

 climatic extremes prevail 

 and the soil is dry and hard 

 during the greater part of 

 the year and rapidly 

 deteriorates, the system 

 would generally be inap- 

 plicable, except at a cost 

 that would be deterrent 

 even with a very active 

 demand and very high 

 prices. 



Except in jardinage, the 

 felling cannot be regulated 

 in accordance with an ir- 

 regular demand, that is 

 constantly subject to very 

 wide and sudden fluctua- 

 tion. 



While securing natural 

 regeneration by seed, the 

 leaf-canopy can be main- 

 tained as full as we Uke, 

 thus giving complete protec- 

 tion to the seedlings and 

 the soil. Hence self-sow- 

 ing offers the only means 

 of regenerating forests, 

 where prevailing condi- 

 tions are exceptionally 

 unfavourable, as over so 

 wide and extent of India. 



