214 ox NATURAL COPPICE WOOD 



sends out large numljers of suckers, not onlj from the collar of 

 the tree, but they also spring up at a distance of several feet 

 from the stem ; and these can all be turned to account, either 

 by encouraging them to grow up as additional coppice shoots, 

 or transplanting them when young. The alder is very suitable 

 for planting as a coppice on the marshy banks of streams, as it 

 grows freely, even though its roots on the one side are partly 

 covered with water; nor does it seem to suffer so much from the 

 effects of high floods as the ash, elm, and other trees do. 



The sycamore is also a most usefal tree for the production of 

 natural coppice. It grows freely on almost any soil, if not too 

 damp, but though very impatient of stagnant water in the soil, 

 it thrives rapidly on the drier banks of streams, even though 

 part of the roots are almost constantly among the running water. 

 After being cut over, shoots grow freely from the stools, and in 

 many plantations young trees spring up and grow rapidly from 

 fallen seeds. At present there is a growing demand for all sizes 

 of plane tree, from two inches diameter upwards, chiefly for the 

 manufacture of bobbins and rollers. 



The Xorway maple is also a profitable coppice tree, being very 

 similar in its habits and uses to the sycamore. 



The ash is beyond dispute one of the most profitable coppice 

 trees in Scotland ; it grows freely and rapidly from stools in 

 dampish glens and sheltered situations, and is always in good 

 demand at all sizes. When young it sells well as wands and 

 rods for the manufacture of strong crates; its older growths meet 

 with a ready sale for cart and barrow slots, and for handle-wood. 

 In the county of Dumbarton we have cut down thinnings from 

 a ten year old ash coppice with from three to six feet of tlie root 

 cuts quite suitable for handle-wood, and sold these thinnings at 

 16s. per ton lying on the ground. 



The elm is very similar to the ash, both in regard to its rate 

 of growth, soils, and situations on which it thrives, and also as 

 to the value of its thinnings, but it is slightly inferior in its 

 value as a full grown crop, owdng chiefly to the preference that 

 is invariably given to the ash for making handles, but the elm is 

 equally useful for turnery purposes, cart and barrow framing, &c. 



The Spanish chestnut on a loamy soil and sheltered situation 

 is another useful coppice tree; shoots grow up rapidly from its 

 stools, and sell well for w'auds, hoops, and crate wood; older 

 growths sell well for turning purposes. 



The horse chestnut, though it sends up shoots freely, is in 

 Scotland not considered to be a very profitable coppice tree. Its 

 wood being wanting in elasticity, the thinnings are unsaleable 

 until they are size for strong crates, or for turners aud firewood. 



The lime tree is also suitable as a coppice tree, but is much 

 inferior to the ash and elm, both in regard to profit and the pur- 



