192 FOREST comjiissioxer's report. 



Such is the condilion of things up to forty years of age. 

 The young stand is practically allowed to take care of itself, 

 and this it does to entirely good advantage. 



At forty years of age, however, at which time the young 

 trees might be 4 to 8 inches in diameter and 50 feet hisfh, a 

 strong thinning is made. Poor and deformed trees are taken 

 out, those that are diseased as well, and such also as are over- 

 crowded and seem destined to an early death. By this means the 

 stand is much improved. Every tree left standing is one that 

 is straioht and good, and it has a good chance to grow. The 

 stand by this treatment may be left pretty open in j^laces, but 

 in the next few years it closes up again. The trees stand as 

 thickly on the ground as they can stand. The dense foliage 

 shields the soil from drying out, and prevents the encroach- 

 ment of liothersome weeds. The density of a middle-aged 

 stand in a German forest, the completeness with which it 

 occupies the ground, is something hardly to be conceived till 

 one sees it. Second growth pine groves are all we have in 

 this country that approaches it. The shade of the foliage is 

 so dense and complete that not a young tree or bush will be 

 seen for rods. All that covers the soil is a line, even coating 

 of moss. 



So the thing stands for forty years more. Only the trees 

 that are crowded out are removed from the ground. These 

 have a value to sell but none to grow. Most of them go into 

 the manufacture of paper. 



At eighty or one hundred years of age, however, another 

 condition of things begins. Spruce and fir at this age will no 

 longer stand densely together. They open of their own 

 accord. Through blowdown or disease, also, little openings 

 in the cover occur, and under these openings, where the sun- 

 light gets down to the ground, a strange thing happens. Little 

 seedlings, which up to this time may have been absolutely 

 lackinof, though the sfround was showered with seed, beain 

 to appear on the ground. Sometimes there is a peiiect 

 mat of them, and the forest manager, remembering that 



