224 
hidian Forest Records. 
[VoL. 1. 
APPENDIX A. 
SYLVICULTUEAL PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE SAL.* 
The more important Sylvicultural Problems relating to the Sal, now 
requiring investigation, are the following : — 
(?) The effects of Fire-Protection. — The enquiry may be limited to 
the effects of complete protection from fire on regeneration 
in localities where the rainfall exceeds 150 inches. There 
can he no question as to the highly injurious effects of fires 
on the higher well-drained lands, or even of continual fires 
on low lands with regard to the ultimate crop, and with con- 
tinual fires the forests are apt to give place to grass. 
(??) Coppice- Reprodiiction. — The results of Coppice Fellings in East- 
ern Bengal are said to prove that Sal Coppice cannot be con- 
sidered a practicable method under the conditions stated in 
(i), whether vuth or without Standards. 
(???) The best method of treating forests in which Sal occurs scattered 
in Mixed Forest. — The problem concerns exclusively the in- 
crease of the Sal. 
(iv) The restocking of blanks and Savannahs is related to (i). — Savan- 
nahs are of two kinds, namely. High and Low land ; the for- 
mer are almost entirely due to Fire or old cultivation. The 
Working-Plan for the Jalpaiguri reserves, Bengal, partly 
deals with this question ; and experiments have also been 
taken in hand in Kheri. 
{v) Allied to (ii) is the best ynethod of coppicing Sal, a question that 
is now being investigated at the Imperial Forest Research 
Institute, Dehra Dun. 
♦ Note by H. H. Haines, F.L.S., F.C.TT., Imperial Forest Sylviciilturist, Imperial 
Research Institute, Dehra Dun, United Provinces. 
Attention may also here be drawn to the following questions requiring careful 
investigation, namely : — 
(1) The presence or absence of annual rings in the wood, which closely ooucems 
the quality of the timber. 
(2) Germination and development of seedlings, coupled with the study of the an- 
nual dying back. 
(3) Power of producing root suckers and coppice shoots ; quality of the coppice 
shoots, their longevity and power of producing fertile seed. — A.M.F.C. 
