456 Forestry Quarterly. 



stems left long are then transported over the frozen snow to 

 special forest depots and these sold by sealed tender. The 

 quality of this Spruce grown high up in the mountains is excellent, 

 as it has the narrow annual rings so much prized by the timber 

 merchant. 



9. The Selection Forests of the Black Forest. The Selection 

 Forests of the Black Forest occupy only about 2% of the total 

 area and the most famous of these is the forest of Wolfach which 

 was treated by Schatzle under the selection system. 



A great deal has been written in modern times in favor of the 

 selection system but its disadvantages are almost innumerable, 

 and it is difficult to understand how in these more or less enligh- 

 tened days anyone can be found to speak seriously in favor of it. 

 It has all the disadvantages of the long regeneration period in the 

 Silver Fir stands of the Black Forest, only very much more 

 exaggerated, for here we may consider the regeneration period 

 as equal to the rotation. Control under this system is almost im- 

 possible. In fact an equally good name for this system would be 

 the Neglecting System as in many cases in the Black Forest these 

 forests are nothing more or less than neglected forests. 



For instance we find such selection forests on steep slopes where 

 there are no roads and where the timber is difficult to get at. In 

 fact anywhere where fellings are made in an irregular way. 



As we have before said, the most famous of these forests is 

 the forest of Wolfach. Now Schatzle treated this forest in an 

 excellent way and improved it considerably, but it was already a 

 neglected forest when he first took charge of it and no other 

 system but the selection system was open tO' him. 



He found here when he first took it over a forest of very old 

 stands containing a large number of rotten Spruce (caused by 

 resin tapping) and cancerous Silver Firs. The first necessity 

 was to cut out the old and rotten trees, and after these were re- 

 moved young growth of Silver Fir sprang up in the gaps. This 

 system has been continued since Schatzle died, and we now find 

 young growth from 1-60 years old and old growth from 1 10-160 

 years old. 



Under this system, big trees, malformed trees, thinnings and 

 in fact all the fellings in silviculture, are made at the same time, 

 and in a period of 10 years the whole forest should be cut through 



