82 JOURNAL OF FORKSTKV 



parable to a savings bank investment. Cultural difficulties are more 

 serious, but art due largely to the attemjit to bring about the conversion 

 through the establishment by natural reproduction of seedling stands 

 with a regular distribution of age classes, 'i'he vState forests of Bourse 

 and of Ecouves i)rove that, at least in the oak and beech stands of 

 western France, the establishment of satisfactory high forests from 

 thrifty trees of sprout origin is not only comparatively easy from a 

 cultural point of view, but can be effected at a considerable saving of 

 time and money. The conversion can be l)rought about either by allow- 

 ing the stand of co]j})ice to keep right on growing, with occasional 

 thinnings to prevent its becoming too dense ; or by making a "'conversion 

 cutting" which would remove the bulk of the trees, leaving several 

 Hundred carefullv selected reserves to the hectare, most of which wotild 

 be of the same age as the main stand. The latter method has the 

 advantage of yielding an immediate revenue and of affording the best 

 possible growing conditions for the trees left. One area treated in 

 this way which had to be prematurely clear cut '.IS years later during 

 the war yielded !,()()() francs per hectare, exclusive of previous thin- 

 nings, as against an estimated yield of 1,200 francs per hectare had the 

 conversion not been undertaken. With suitable species, vigorous trees, 

 and good soil, the method is applicable to private as well as to public 

 forests. When conditions are unfavorable in these respects clear 

 cutting and planting or underplanting with silver fir is usually neces- 

 sary. Private owners, who will ordinaril}- make the "conversion cut- 

 tings" from five to ten years earlier than the State, will find it ad- 

 vantageous to leave a larger number of reserves, say 1,000 per hectare 

 in a 23-year-()ld stand. It is usually advisable to remove old reserves 

 already on the ground, not only because of the revenue to be derived 

 from them but because their subsequent growth is likely to be unsatis- 

 factory and to interfere with the best development of the rest of the 

 stand. In selecting reserves to be retained, the s])ecics and gen.eral 

 vigor of the trees are more important than their origin. The object 

 of the method is not to obtain a stand of natural seedlings in some 

 far oft' future, but to effect the immediate conversion of a coppice 

 stand into high forest with a view to securing the maximum yield of 

 timber. S. T. D. 



Aubert, C. — G. La couvcrsioii dcs taillis en fiitaic dans I'oucst dc la France. 

 Rev. Eaux et Forets. 58:124-132, IVMCO, is'.i-ll)4, :22r-2:!4. 1920. 



