940 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



The failure of reproduction on the sandstone is due to destructive fungi, 

 which thrive in insufficiently decomposed leaf humus. The failure to 

 secure beech reproduction naturally has led to a system of seed fellings 

 based on four preparation fellings extending over a period of 20 years, 

 a seed felling, and final cuttings (light cuttings) extending over the 

 period of regeneration, which is usually 15 years, but which depend 

 on the amount of protection required by the young growth. The 

 shelterwood stand contains on an average two-thirds of the original 

 stand in volume, 20 years before. It is preferred that the soil litter 

 decompose naturally, but advantage must be^ taken of good seed years, 

 and the humus must often be either raked up into piles or else the soil 

 must be treated artificially by harrowing, plowing, grazing swine, etc. 

 In the preparation-cuttings, protection of the stand against too great an 

 opening, which results in rush and other weeds coming in. is more 

 important than removing forked and other undesirable trees. 



The reproduction must be protected during the first few years against 

 raspberry and rush which must be diligently removed, especially during 

 the first year after getting a start. Reproduction from the side ("Rand- 

 verjiingung") has not proven successful. 



The first plantings of oak in the forests of Prussian Soiling 

 were pure; after 1840 alternate rows of oak and beech were 

 planted, but this proved a failure smce the beech crowded out 

 the oak. Better results were later secured by planting the beech 

 as an understory after the oak had secured a sufficient start to 

 prevent its being crowded out. After considerable experimenting, 

 the establishing of oak in beech forests was effected chiefly by sowing 

 or planting seedling stock according to the Martzfield process in stands 

 in which the beech had been clear cut to secure reseeding. The high 

 final cost of this process pro\'ed its undoing. The present method is to 

 establish oak by dibbling under beech stands at the time of the regen- 

 eration cutting or during beech seed years. The oak is allowed to start 

 up with the beech reproduction to prevent its destruction by game, 

 which is a serious menace to oak reproduction in this region and ad- 

 vance beech saplings are cut down so as not to interfere with the oak. 

 Wherever dominant oaks are found in the Soiling in equal-aged mix- 

 ture with beech, two facts are most evident: the site is exposed to the 

 sun and the oak is Q. sessili flora. This oak is favored over Q. pedun- 

 cidata since it has a shallow root system, will thrive in shallow soils and 

 mixes better with beech. To insure a successful mixture, it is of 



