Some Aspects of European Forestry. 347 



where weeds have not taken possession of the ground, stocky 

 seedlings 2 to 3 years old are used ; for weedy sites stronger 

 transplants 3 to 5 years old are used. In order to secure hardy 

 stock and have it close to the planting areas, the seed beds are 

 placed at medium elevations rather than at the base of the 

 mountain- 



If seeding fails of results, it is not repeated, but the area is 

 planted. Sometimes the damage by game and cattle is so great 

 that in order to regenerate the area it has to be fenced. Wire 

 fence is used oftener than wood. 



The artificial introduction of the larch can be secured either 

 through sowing it in mixture with the spruce seed or by planting, 

 in mixture with other species, on suitable sites, such as fresh, 

 deep soils, on open areas and not under cover or in damp, foggy 

 ravines nor on north, northeast or northwest slopes. Pure stands 

 are undesirable since the larches compete so savagely among 

 themselves that with no other species at hand, gaps will in- 

 evitably occur in the stand. Where grazing is heavy and there 

 is much game, no attempt is made to introduce larch. 



As for the rotation, it is usually set at over 100 years but, 

 especially in view of the reaction against former ultra-conserva- 

 tism, this does nor preclude earlier cutting of certain stands 

 which at a younger age reach their highest productivity. No 

 rotation is fixed for the Selection zone nor any of course, for the 

 strictly protection forests of the highest zone. 



The lesson which the management of Alpine forests in Ba- 

 varia teaches us Americans is the important one of adapting 

 the method of regeneration to the exigencies of the particular 

 case. Despite adverse natural conditions, Bavarian foresters have 

 steadfastly continued to strive for natural regeneration. We 

 too, have regions where natural regeneration is exceedingly dif- 

 ficult but failures need not bring discouragement — there is an 

 "Open Sesame" for every combination! 



A second lesson which Bavarian experience brings home to 

 us, is the danger of extensive cutting areas. One after another, 

 the European countries have reached the same conclusions — the 

 cutting areas must not be few and large but many and small — 

 just as many, just as small as the economic conditions will permit. 

 Finally, Bavaria is a splendid exponent of the evils of over- 



