88 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



crops of Stunted beech are found, with an occasional dwarf silver 

 fir. This crop of stunted beech, which grows very slowly, and 

 is treated as coppice, is due to the strength of the westerly gales, 

 which destroy the leading-shoots of the conifers. Some of the 

 crops of pure spruce result from plantations, but the general 

 character of the woods is that of a natural forest of silver fir, 

 with a mixture of the other species. These woods are all 

 completely stocked, and the trees are tall and flourishing, 

 especially at the lower altitudes, where the soil is moist and 

 fertile The crop contains, on the average, 5500 cubic feet per 

 acre (solid measure), attaining 11,000 cubic feet per acre in the 

 best parts of the forest. This represents 4400 to 8000 cubic 

 feet quarter-girth measurement. 



Altitude here exercises a prejudicial effect on tree growth only 

 after 3600 feet. At 2950 feet, along the road to the Schlucht, 

 a pass which leads across the Vosges into Alsace, there is a 

 crop containing 10,752 cubic feet per acre. Fine silver fir trees 

 abound in the forest, and several of these trees measure 3-9 to 

 4*2 feet in diameter at chest-height, with a total height of 

 130 feet. 



System of Management. 



The working-plan of the forest was made in 187 1, and revised 

 in 1893. The forest consists of two divisions, the first division 

 being managed by the selection system, and comprising the 

 higher land near the Hohneck and the steep slopes adjoining 

 the lakes of Retournemer and Longemer. It is subdivided 

 into two working-sections, each of which is cut over every 

 twelve years, equal areas being dealt with annually, and trees 

 considered mature, or defective, or that are injuring their 

 neighbours, being felled. The second division of the forest is 

 managed by the shelter-wood compartment system, with a 

 rotation of 148 years, which commenced in 1869. There are 

 six working-sections in this part of the forest, and four periodic 

 blocks in each section, the first blocks with periods of 40 years, 

 and the three others with periods of 36 years each. 



Natural regeneration is being carried out in the first blocks 

 of each section, and in some compartments of the fourth blocks. 

 The rest of the area is treated by periodic thinnings. All trees 

 of I foot 5 inches in diameter and above, whether felled in 

 regeneration fellings or in thinnings, or after windfall, are 



