48 
Indian Forest Records, 
[Yol. VIII 
prospect of reducing tlie regeneration period by no less than 35 
years. By putting this system into operation, also, in selected 
areas, a standard will be made available, by means of which it will be 
easy to determine the comparative value of improvements and modifica¬ 
tions which may be subsequently suggested. It should be noted, also, 
that the suggested system is eminently suited for those forests which 
are composed chiefly of miscellaneous species, and in which it is desirable 
to increase the proportion of sal. 
Possible Objections to the proposed System of Regeneration. 
52. Before dealing with the possible objections which may be raised 
to the introduction of the system proposed, it must, in the first place, 
be clearly understood that this system is not intended to apply to :— 
(1) Semi-ruined areas, poorly stocked and with little or no under¬ 
growth except a heavy growth of grass. Such areas are 
exceptional and require special treatment. 
(2) Forests where ample soil moisture is available by percolation 
or springs and where, owing to the sandy or gravelly nature 
of the soil, bad soil-aeration is not a factor of importance. 
In such localities, sal seedlings can be established success¬ 
fully and fairly quickly under shade, arid regeneration 
consequently presents no difficulty. 
(3) Forests exposed to particularly favourable climatic conditions 
where there is no fear of frost damage. In such cases, sal 
can be safely raised in the open on large clearings, e.g. in 
Assam and the Bengal Duars. 
The principles of the system now proposed are intended to apply 
to the average fairly well-stocked sal forest on loam, in places where 
frost damage is to be feared, where the dying back of seedlings is a 
marked characteristic, and where the establishment of vigorous seedling 
growth is at present a slow and uncertain process. 
53. In the second place, it must be borne in mind that the system 
proposed offers a good prospect of reducing the present regeneration 
period of these forests by not less than 35 years. If this result could 
be obtained cheaply and with very little trouble, it is fairly certain that 
it would have been realised long ago. Consequently, we must be pre¬ 
pared to encounter some difficulties and to incur such expenditure as is 
reasonable in view of the advantages to be obtained. With these preli¬ 
minary remarks, the following possible objections to the proposed system 
will be shortly considered :— 
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