Some Aspects of European Forestry. 343 



But even clear cut strips * despite their usual advantages are 

 not advisable here since the stands have either passed the seed 

 producing stage — i.e.. are overmature, or else, on such steep 

 slopes, the logging of the remaining strips would destroy much 

 of the young growth on the strip already cut. The openings are 

 very prone to grow up with grass and weeds but if, to prevent 

 this (and the game and cattle injury), the brush were scattered 

 on the cut-over strips, it would interfere seriously with the sub- 

 sequent logging of the remaining strips and a too thick mulch of 

 fallen needles would possibly retard natural regeneration (see 

 previous article.) 



Under these obviously adverse conditions, the Bavarians have 

 evolved the Shelterwood Strip Method of Cutting. This method 

 applies the principles of natural regeneration under shelter of 

 the mature stand to long strips running up and down the mountain 

 sides. The progress of cutting is usually from the highest part 

 of the slope to the base thereof. Each of these strips represents 

 a point of atiack — each the beginning of a carefully planned 

 Cutting Series. These Cutting Series — as in Saxony — are sep- 

 arated from each other a quarter to one mile or more, depending 

 entirely on the distribution of the age classes. The idea is to 

 have many points of attack, thus avoiding the evils of joining 

 each year's cutting area to that of the previous year which has 

 worked such havoc in the past. As points of attack, advantageous 

 topographic features such as small ravines and the like, are chosen- 



The initial strip on which the shelterwood regeneration is be- 

 gun, has an average width of not to exceed 150 feet ; no fixed rule 

 can be formulated, since local conditions often necessitate a 

 greater or lesser width, and this is essentially not a "stencil 

 method." For example, the cutting must be more narrow where 

 the slope is steep and sunny and the soil is apt to grow up to grass 

 and weeds. Conversely, on shaded, gentle slopes the cutting strip 

 can be wider. 



Where conditions prevent the cutting of an entire strip from 

 top to bottom of the slope in one year, cutting is begun at the 

 top of the slope and extended to the base thereof in subsequent 

 years. It is rarely permissible to log the lower part of the 



*See Article IV of the Series : "Management of Spruce in Saxony" — 

 also subheading III of Article VI: "Border Cuttings." 



