510 Forestry Quarterly 



fall. In both years, in spite of great climatic difference, the change 

 of salt contents proceeded alike, low in May, rising in July, again 

 declining in August and September, highest in November. 



In May, the distribution of salts is dependent on relation of 

 precipitation and evaporation. The latter brings water from the 

 depths and enriches the upper layers with minerals. This goes 

 on up to July, and in the dry year 19 11 in greater degree than in the 

 moister year 1912. Here a difference between thinned and 

 tmthinned area is noticeable. The thinned, open stand is strongly 

 sunned, the temperature of the surface soil rises and with it 

 evaporation and water conduction and movement of nutrients. 

 *'It is very probable that in this relation an essential part of the 

 influence of thinnings rests." 



In August and September, probably the birch mainly takes up 

 nutrients which accounts for the lower figures, while in November, 

 with the leaf fall, the concentration of soluble salts rises to double 

 and four-fold the amount of previous months. Without any 

 other assignable cause the litter alone must account for this great 

 increase and accentuates its value. 



The authors in conclusion point out the advantage of these moor 

 soils for investigations into plant nutrition, mineral requirements, 

 etc., on account of their independence on water and relative 

 poverty of mineral salts. 



Der Einfluss eines Baumbestandes auf den Gehalt an gelosten Salzen in einem 

 Moorboden. Zeitschrift fur Forst- und Jagdwesen, January, 1916, pp. 3-12. 



The removal of litter by raking for stable 



Litter use, which in its effects is probably not much 



Influence different from its removal by fire has been 



studied by Ganter in 120-year beech stands, 



III and IV site, verifying former findings. 



The largest water contents and smallest evaporation are found 

 in the undisturbed area (5 to .7 cm cover). The area raked every 

 5 years had the lowest water content and evaporated almost as 

 much as the undisturbed area. The explanation seems to lie in 

 the number of trees, 310 against 410 on the unraked area per 

 hectare. 



The litter of the unraked soil prevents the washing out of the 

 silt. The yearly raked soil experiences increased weathering and 

 hence increase of silt. The greatest volimie of pores are foimd in 

 the areas never raked or raked only every 5 years. 



