28 The Natural Regeneration of Forests. 



fairly well mixed. When- these circles or groups have been 

 thoroughly stocked, a further clearance is made by- the removal 

 of zones round the groups to a width equal to half the height of 

 the mature trees. When these in turn have been stocked, further 

 clearances are made as before. In this way the work of clearing 

 and regenerating goes on until about half the mature stand has 

 been removed. Strips are then cut, so as to join the groups. 

 The strips and groups are regenerated and increased simultane- 

 ously, until nothing remains but narrow, irregular fragments of 

 the previous crop. As these would be liable to be thrown by 

 wind, thev are generally cleared, and the ground stocked by sow- 

 ing or planting. When done by planting the work is performed 

 with a circular spade, the plants being taken from the ground 

 regenerated, with balls of earth adhering to them. The above 

 description applies to the regeneration of the silver fir and spruce. 

 As the time limit for the complete regeneration of a compartment 

 in Neuessinger forest is 20 years, and as good seed years, in the 

 case of the beech, do not occur oftener than three times in that 

 period, this species is generally only found in small groups, the 

 result of two or three fellings and seedings. The seedings differ in 

 age by from seven to ten years, and tlieir boundaries are marked 

 by stiff margins. Thus the older group is apt to for some dis- 

 tance overtop and suppress the younger trees around. The older 

 trees then become coarse and branchy on the margins. It will be 

 seen, then, that this system only suits beech, where the seed years 

 are at short intervals. 



The result of regeneration by this system is a gradually undu- 

 lating canopy. The quicker the crop is regenerated the more fill- 

 ing up with transplants is found necessary. The slower the repro- 

 duction the greater the loss of increment on the crop. The seed- 

 lings again may come up so thickly that thinning out with thinning 

 scissors may be found necessary. Where the crop is too thick in 

 the early stages, and is allowed to remain so, the heavy leaf-fall 

 creates an accumulation of " raw humus," the acid properties of 

 which are prejudicial to growth. If, when the first thinning of 

 the mature crop is made by the removal of the coarsest stems, 

 weeds spring up, this is an indication that the conditions are not 

 favourable for natural regeneration bv this s\stem, the advan- 

 tages of which are that — (1) the fertility of the soil and the .shelter 

 are preserved ; (2) as a new clearance is never carried out until 



