Conversion Methods 603 



the total. The follo\\ing year fir and spruce were sown or planted 

 in the openings. The fir was sown several seeds in a spot one or 

 two feet square. Spruce, which is planted, was used only for 

 large openings. The many firs coming up in the seed spots were 

 transplanted during later operations. Diu-ing the period 1896 

 to 1905, thinning operations, both to free the spruce and fir 

 already estabhshed and to create further openings for sowing and 

 planting were conducted. At this time any failures in the sowing 

 of previous decades were corrected. During the final treatment 

 during the period 1906 to 1915, practically the whole of the remain- 

 ing broad-leaf stand, excepting vigorous seedlings of valuable 

 species, were removed and the establishment of the coniferous 

 forest completed by final sowing and planting. 



While block I, amounting to one quarter of the area of the forest, 

 has been receiving this treatment, blocks II and III have re- 

 mained in growing coppice which in 1915 will be 55 to 80 years 

 old. During the period 1886 to 1915 improvement fellings were 

 carried out over block II three times, with the intention of leav- 

 ing in the block at the end of the period only the best of the 

 standards, coppice and seedlings. Enough fir and spruce was 

 introduced after the fellings to form about one quarter of the 

 final stand. 



Block III was treated in the same manner as block II, at the 

 same time, with the exception that thinnings in block III were 

 lighter and very little sowing or planting of conifers has yet been 

 done. Block IV was worked as coppice until 8 or 10 years ago. 

 Coppicing was then stopped, and it will be allowed to stand in 

 reserve imtil ready for the same treatment as has been given 

 blocks II and III. 



The forest when visited in 1915 was at the end of the first 30- 

 year period of conversion. The situation in each of the four 

 blocks was : 



I. Establishment of coniferous forest completed now in groups, 

 1 to 30 years old. Broad-leaf trees disappeared except for thrifty 

 seedlings left. Coppice shoots kept cut down and coppice stools 

 dying out. 



II. Coppice, 55 to 80 years old. Three improvement fellings have 

 cleared away large proportion of coppice shoots and many stand- 

 ards. Fair number of yoimg fir, spruce present. 



III. Coppice, 55 to 80 years old. Small proportion of coppice 



