Part IV.] Caccia : Selection method of treatment in India. 355 
forest, and in showing the method adopted in calculating the mean 
annual increment of trees of dift’erent girths. 
lu these Chir (Finus longifolia) forests the object to be attained was (1) t-o 
increase the number of exploitable chir trees with long clean boles, the demand 
for chir timber equalling or perhaps exceeding the present supply ; (2) to increase 
the density of the stock; (3) to work the forests more regularly so that the 
stock of mature trees may be concentrated as much as possible consistent with 
the maintenance of jardinage. 
It is important to remember the sylvicultural requirements of this pine. 
M. Boppe well remarks : “ When a high forest is stocked with species of heavy 
cover it is easy to keej) trees of all ages growing together, for the shade of the 
taller ones does not interfere with the healthy growth of those standing below 
them. But in the ease of trees of light cover it is impossible to maintain by 
this system anything but an extremely thin crop, for the young trees cannot 
live under the shade of the older ones. For such species, the regular system 
with the age classes grouped together is the only one that can be successfully 
employed.” This system would also enormously facilitate fire-protection for 
regeneration could be confined to a small part only of the circle instead of being 
spread throughout the whole area as at present. Having in view, however, 
the small and inadequate stock of large chir and the fact that nearly all these 
forests are too remote to be utilised for the fuel supply, the system cannot be 
introduced at once without an imjustifiable sacrifice of material. We eould, 
however, thanks to the fact that many of the blocks contain almost entirely 
young trees, prepare the way for its eventual adoption, if hereafter considered 
advisable, by keeping at present to the jardinage system but adopting a long 
period between such exploitation and by felling in each compartment as its 
turn for working arrives all trees 5 feet 3 inches in girth and over. This was 
the treatment advocated by the Conservator (Mr. Dansey) and myself- The 
Inspector General of Forests, however, whilst approving of the present treat- 
ment of the somewhat similar Ranikhet forests which will eventually regularise 
the whole stock, prefers for the Naini Tal forests the maintenance of the selection 
system with a felling rotation of 20 years. The trees to be removed are, so 
far as may be possible, to be marked in groups, thus leading the way to the 
application of the group jardinage system. This is therefore the treatment that 
has been adopted. 
The chir working circles must obviously be worked with the main object of 
obtaining the largest quantity possible of timber. Other things being equal the 
larger the trees are when felled, provided they are still sound, the better; 
for the amount of waste in conversion diminishes in geometrical ratio as the 
diameter increases. But in each case a natural limit to exploitable size is 
imposed by the prevailing conditions of soil and climate. 
In accordance with the orders of the Inspector General of Forests 20 chir 
trees growing under normal conditions were taken and their rate of growth and 
increase in their timber producing bole traced between the girths of 4 feet 6 inches 
and 6 feet 6 inches. In the following analysis these calculations are given for 
every three inches in girth. 
