THE POLE-CUTTING PRACTICE IN THE BAMILEKE COUNTRY (WESTERN CAMEROON)

In the Bamileke country (West Cameroon), farmers use pole-cutting prac tice for plantation tree and hedge management. Depending on the specie s, this practice follows certain rules for gathering, conditioning and planting of pole-cuttings. The main function of the living fences det ermines the length of the cuttings, the space between them, the hedge structure and its latticing with raffia 'bamboo'. Pole-cutting practic e enables farmers to set up pigs, goats and sheep enclosures in the cr op fields, as well as to demarcate the family lots. Trees stemming fro m pole-cutting are pollarded to supply the family group with the major ity of their wood product requirements. Pole-cutting practice fulfills the needs of several farmers such as rapid delimitation of land, anim al enclosures, firewood, construction wood, timber and cutting product ion. However, this practice needs a fine hedge management. With decrea sing sheep and goat herds and the frequent absence of the farmer, tech niques of hedge management are changing.