26 Indian Forest Records. [Yol. IY. 
safety’s sake at five years. From experience it may be possible to reduce 
the rotation of felling for certain species of bamboos. 
The rotation on which Melocanna bambusoides can be cut is put at 
7 years, this figure having been arrived at by inspecting even-aged 
crops of this species in the Arakan Division. 
Method of executing the cutting. —As has been shown above, it is 
not advisable to cut all the stems in one clump, as though by so doing 
the clump would probably not die, such drastic treatment would weaken 
it considerably. It is therefore proposed that 25 per cent, of the culms 
should be left per clump, of which at least half be young ones, to 
divide the area roughly into five blocks, and to carry out the cuttings 
in one block each year. Such an arrangement would not be possible were 
the total possible yield not far in excess of what is actually required. 
On the other hand, bv such an arrangement the supply would certainly 
be maintained for ever. 
After the cuttings have been carried out for one rotation and the 
effect of doing so ascertained, it might quite likely be found possible 
to modify the rules in the^ light of further experience. In any case, the 
Local Governments will, from the first, frame their own rules as regard 
the cuttings, which will be settled when a firm or company comes forward 
to apply for a concession, so that the above observations are only an 
outline of the possible solution to the problem. 
Cutting stems of different ages. —As regards cutting stems of different 
ages, in practice it will be difficult to do more than differentiate between 
those under and over one year old. 
In the past while carrying out laboratory tests, the experts have 
made fine distinctions between culms of 1, 2, 3, 4 years and over. As 
above stated, this is of no value in practice, as it is certain that while 
cutting bamboos on a large scale it will not be possible to make the 
coolies differentiate further than between under-and over-one-year 
old culms. 
The effect on the growth of a clump by cutting under-one-year old 
culms is still a disputed point. It is generally recognised that they should 
be left standing. However, in the light of the experiments carried out 
in the Tharrawaddy and Yaw Divisions, and after inspecting a very 
large number of clumps over which fellings have taken place, it appears 
that the harm done to the clump is not so great as it is generally 
supposed to be. It is therefore thought that, provided about 50 per 
cent, of the new shoots are spared and that the cuttings are carried out 
[ 183 ] 
