SUITED FOR PLANTING. 281 



ing to the angle of inclination, one might describe a hill as gently 

 sloping up to 10° ; moderately steep, 10° to 20° ; steep, 21° to 

 30^ ; very steep, upwards of 30°. 



In addition to these three chief features, the local climate and 

 the growth of trees is influenced more or less by the character of 

 the surrounding district, and by the form, extent, and direction 

 •of the ranges of hills on which the forests are. 



THE VAPJOUS SOILS SUITED FOR THE DIFFERENT HARDWOOD 



FOREST TREES. 



The beech {Fagus sylvatica) deserves the first place as the only 

 hardw-ood that is by nature admirably suited for growth in 

 xinmixed forests. By the annual fall of its leaves, rich in potash 

 -and easy of decomposition, it forms an excellent humus, and 

 enriches the soil. In high timber forests it finds its proper 

 place, showing the best growth where the foliage builds an 

 almost unbroken roof, for then the rays of the sun cannot break 

 through and draw up the moisture contained in the soils. The 

 period of rotation of crops {turnits) is usually from 100 to 120 

 years, being longer on good than on poor soils. For coppice it 

 is not so suitable, as the power of regeneration from the stool is 

 not great, and also the growth of the shoots is not rapid ; but 

 it is met with in this form on a soil such as lime, that tends to 

 increase its power of springing from the stock. 



It occurs as coppice under standards, where the latter throw 

 much shade on the underwood, or where they, as in the case of 

 •oak standards, require the firound to lie w^ell guarded against the 

 rays of the sun. On lime, and the milder clayey varieties of 

 the " EothtodtliegertdcS," it thrives well as standards, and the 

 increase of growth is very marked ; but then it overshadows the 

 coppice more than any other tree, and the timber of the beech 

 at no time commands the high price usually fetched by other 

 hardwoods. With these remarks, we proceed to consider it in 

 •high timber forests. 



The beech, on whatever formation it occurs, requires for its 

 proper development a strong, mineral soil, fresh, and rich in 

 humus or vegetable mould. On plains it is often found in 

 company with the oak, on sandy-loamy deposits, if these are not 

 too dry or too moist. On the hills of the various sandstone 

 formations, particularly of the bunter sandstein (Soiling Hills 

 in Hanover, Eheinhardt's Wald in Hesseu-Cassel, and Spessart 

 Eange) and Keuper, it occurs on the clayey-loamy, dark-red 

 varieties, thriving best in the cooler and fresher situations, and 

 where the soil contains much humus. But on the poorer, light- 

 coloured sand, and in drier situations, or those exposed to storms, 

 its growth is slower, the soil l^ecomes impoverished, and one of 

 the conifers would be more suitable. 



