52 
Indian Forest Records. 
[Vol. VIII 
tion for sal, no one acquainted with the tree will deny, so much so 
indeed that the attempt will almost certainly fail unless we clearly 
realize at the outset that the advantages of such a system, if successful, 
are sufficiently great to justify usinmaking determined and, if necessary, 
prolonged efforts to overcome the difficulties in the way and in dis¬ 
regarding drawbacks which are relatively insignificant in comparison 
with the probable advantages. 
(e) As full seed years do not occur every year , it may be impossible to 
stock an area at once after clearing and heavy weed growth 
may result. 
A considerable quantity of sal seed is produced annually, and 
by suitable organization of labour it should be quite possible 
to collect sufficient of this for the stocking of the annual 
regeneration area. The Dehra Dun experiments, also, have 
proved that a 60 feet wide strip which has been cleared for 
2 years can be successfully stocked by broadcast sowing on 
hoed soil and also that heavy weed growth does not estab¬ 
lish itself quickly on small patches. 
(/) The system requires more labour than is likely to be available. 
In the sal forests in question labour is, as a rule, difficult to obtain 
during the rains, but it is believed that the only work that 
need be done then (in June or early July) is the broadcast 
sowing which obviously requires comparatively little labour. 
Apart from this it will, in any case, probably be necessary to 
increase considerably the available labour in these forests by 
forest villages, or otherwise, in connection with other work of 
importance, such as the afforestation of extensive grasslands. 
Modification of system suggested where labour is scarce. 
54. Where, however, on account of scarcity of seed, insufficient 
labour, or other difficulties, it is desirable to reduce, as far as possible, 
the area to be hoed and artificially sown, it is believed that the principle 
of the system proposed in this paper can still be applied and that the 
present regeneration period can still be considerably shortened. In 
para. 23 (10) above it is estimated that, on an average, a full stock of 
sal seedlings cannot be obtained in the shade of the local forests in less 
than 40 years. If, therefore, during the 20 years immediately preceding 
the regeneration period, the development of seedlings in the shade 
is encouraged by the burning off of the dead leaves in seed years, it is 
probable that, at the close of this period, not less than one half of the 
area would be fully stocked with seedlings. The average age of such 
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