removing mature trees,’ says Mr K, 
Geiser, “the so-called ‘strip system’ is 
usually applied. This consists in cutting 
long, narrow openings of perhaps a hun- 
dred yards in width, extending from the 
main waggon road and at right angles 
to it, on up to the crest of the hill; and 
as the roads are always parallel to the 
streams ard mountainous ridges, the 
strips are also at right angles to the 
prevailing winds, which sweep up and 
down the valley. The forest is thus pro- 
tected from destructive cyclones, and re- 
production readily follows from the trees 
on both sides of the narrow openings. 
Another advantage of this method of 
cutting lies in the fact that the trees, 
when cut, may easily be skidded down 
the slopes to the road; from thence they 
are transported to the sawmills in the 
valley below.” And when the trees are 
finally removed the clearing is refilled 
from the nursery, and the new growth, 
sheltered by the surrounding timber, is 
tended with the same assiduous care as 
before. Of course, from time to time the 
trees are thinned out. With increasing 
height and girth each tree requires a 
larger and larger space. At the first 
thinning the trees are left about five feet 
apart; 20 years later they are thinned 
out again to an average of eight or nine 
feet apart; and finally the smaller trees 
are cleared away again till the survivors 
have up to 18ft. standing room on every 
side. As to the determination of the 
time and extent of the cutting operations, 
24 
one of the central ideas of scientific for- 
estry is that “the average yearly cut ip 
an entire forest district shall be equal 
to the average yearly growth.” The pre- 
cise extent of the clearing and eutti 
operations is fixed by a forest survey 
which is taken every ten years, During 
the succeeding years only the amount 
added during the previous period may be 
removed, one-tenth of this amount being 
cut every year. The advantage of limit- 
ing the consumption and organising the 
supply of timber in this way should pe 
sufficiently obvious. “It preserves to the 
State and the community a perpetual 
forest; it furnishes constant employment 
to a large and definite number of people; 
every phase of forestry becomes a science; 
and every individual, from the chief off- 
cial to the common woodman, becomes 
an expert since his employment becomes 
a life occupation. It would indeed be 
difficult,” adds Mr Geiser, ‘to find a bet- 
ter example of industrial economy than is 
here exhibited. Destructive lumbering 
is unknown, and the enemies—such as 
forest fires, over-grazing and _ thieyes— 
which play havoe in the American for- 
ests, are carefully guarded against by a 
watchful and efficient body of officials. 
There is system from beginning to end, 
and that system has long since been re- 
duced to a science, which is being con- 
stantly perfected by the co-operation of 
the forestry schools throughout.the Em- 
pire.” 
ng 
