54 
Indian Forest Records . 
[Vol. VIII 
Based on the above results, three main methods of treatment 
appear to be possible, each one of which deserves attention and care¬ 
ful experimental trial. Each one of these methods, probably, will 
prove eventually to be suitable for some forests at least, while in 
some cases a combination of different methods may be desirable. 
The methods are :— 
(а) Large clearings and regeneration by artificial sowings over extensive 
areas .—This method is suited to localities where the climatic conditions 
are generally favourable, where damage from frost or drought is not to 
be feared, but where bad soil-aeration is often very injurious, e.g. 
Assam, Bengal Duars and parts of the United Provinces such as 
Gorakhpur. This method should secure complete regeneration in the 
shortest possible time, combined with the greatest possible concentra¬ 
tion of work. 
Its application, however, is necessarily limited to areas where labour 
is plentiful.* 
(б) Clear fellings over relatively small areas in the form of 'patches or 
strips , combined with artificial sowings .—This method is suited to locali¬ 
ties where side-shade is necessary for the protection of seedlings from 
frost or drought damage, and wherebad soil-aeration is liable to be injuri¬ 
ous during the rains. It is believed that this method, which provides 
for a considerable concentration of work, would secure complete rege¬ 
neration of the Dehra Dun forests in 15 years. 
(c) Natural regeneration under a shelter wood. —This method, as a rule, 
requires a long period of time, and, probably, should only be adopted 
in localities where scarcity of labour or other factors render methods 
(a) and (b) impossible. The only way at present known of accelerating 
the establishment of the seedlings under this method is by burning off 
the annual supply of dead leaves, f It maybe found advisable, in some 
cases, to combine this method with method (b) above. A fair stock of 
natural seedlings having first been obtained under shade, the over¬ 
head cover could then be removed in patches and strips as in 
system (b), only those areas being sown up artificially where natural 
seedlings have not been established. 
♦The system of clear-felling followed by field cultivation and finally by artificial 
sowings has recently been recommended for the moist sal forests of Bengal and Assam 
(Note on Sal forests in Jalpaiguri, Buxa and Goalpara, by G. S. Hart, C.I.E., Inspector- 
General of Forests, Simla, 1915). Clear-felling of the existing crop in order to obtain 
good coppice shoots from the stools of advance growth, combined with the artificial 
sowing up of blanks, is in force for a part of the Gorakhpur forests under the current 
Working-Plan by Mr. R. G. Marriott (Allahabad, 1915) which was prepared in accord¬ 
ance with the proposals made by Mr. P. H. Chitterbuck in 1913. 
tBurning off the leaf layer is prescribed by Mr. J. V. Collier in the current Working 
Plan for the Haldwani Division (Allahabad, 1917), p. 57. 
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