330 Forestry Quarterly. 



process of regeneration and long rotation is more adapted to oak 

 than is a "straight" shelterwood compartment system. 



These experiences with hardwood management in Eastern 

 France are of special interest because of the largely similar 

 conditions in the eastern United States- True we are far from 

 having such ideal conditions of utilization, markets, and means 

 of transportation but these are improving yearly. Meanwhile, 

 the silvicultural methods employed in France are directly ap- 

 plicable to the United States; thus the means of favoring the 

 most valuable species, the good effects of thinnings from above 

 and, finally, the experience in converting from deteriorating cop- 

 pice with standards into valuable high forest, with trees 30 inches 

 in diameter and 90 feet tall, all with no other tool than the axe, 

 should prove of interest to far-sighted owners who wish to raise 

 the standard of their woodlands, even if only for aesthetic 

 purposes. 



VI. Natural Regeneration in the Beack Forest 



The justly famous Black Forest is in reality a low chain of 

 mountains, much like our Northern and Southern Appalachian 

 ranges, stretching north and south as the eastern fringe of the 

 magnificent Rhine Valley. The Black Forest is, therefore, sit- 

 uated in the Grand-duchy of Baden and in the Kingdom of 

 Wiirttemberg. 



The topography is typical of a highly eroded sandstone and 

 granite region; long, relatively flat ridges divided by pleasant 

 valleys or rugged ravines. The average elevation is possibly 

 2,500 feet above sea level ; the highest mountain Feldberg, is 

 5,897 feet high. 



The climate is temperate though, of course, subject to heavy 

 winds and much snow. The precipitation varies from 47 to 66 

 inches per annum. The annual average temperature is about 45 

 degrees Fahrenheit. 



As its name indicates the Black Forest is essentially coniferous. 

 Spruce and fir form the bulk of the stand with occasional beech, 

 birch and other hardwoods in mixture. On the lower sheltered 

 slopes ash, maple, hornbeam, alder and the like occur while on 

 the oftentimes swampy mountain tops Pinus montana, that 

 scrubby mountaineer, and Mountain Ash are found. The com- 



