GERMAN FORESTRY, 141 



recently taken place in the theory and practice of thinning. 

 Until now it has been taught in this country, and in Germany by 

 scientific foresters, that the proper way to thin a young wood 

 is to remove the trees that have been overcome or suppressed 

 in the struggle for existence. This means a removal merely of 

 those trees which Nature has herself rejected, but there is no 

 guidance of the growth of the remainder, and badly formed trees 

 may in this way develop at the expense of good stems, simply 

 because they are of larger size. Now it is realised that it is 

 the upper, dominant class that threatens to be most harmful 

 to the timber-grower. Strong, overspreading individuals, aggres- 

 sive trees which broaden out their crowns to the detriment of 

 surrounding stems — these are the most dangerous to the well- 

 being of the forest as a whole. 



By both the newer and the older systems of scientific thinning, 

 the best trees are saved. The difference consists in this, that 

 whereas formerly no large stem was removed unless it was 

 markedly ill-shaped, now much greater freedom is taken with 

 this class of tree, and the over-prominent are ejected in order 

 to benefit the majority. In the words of a Continental 

 authority, the aim ought to be to produce the " greatest 

 number of healthy stems, straight and free from side branches." ^ 

 To obtain such a result, one must purge young woods of 

 the over-dominant members, but retain as many as possible 

 of the other stems, mcluding the suppressed, as long as they are 

 not unhealthy. I lay emphasis upon this, because it is really 

 the most important feature in modern German forestry. 



While younger woods of oak should be " crowded " to make 

 height and straightness of bole, one cannot maintain them in 

 this condition, because by a natural process they tend to " open 

 out" and become thin. 



It is at this stage that German foresters underplant woods 

 of pure oak — generally with beech, occasionally with silver fir. 

 In this case the effect of the beech is not only to increase the 

 productivity of the soil, but also to prevent the formation of side- 

 shoots on the oaks. In the Spessart there are magnificent oak 

 forests of great age, which have been several times underplanted 

 with beech. In that district the particular oak met with is 

 Quercus sessiliflora, which suits lighter soil and drier situations 

 better than Quercus pedunculata. 



^ That is, the largest quantity of valuable timber per acre. — Hon. Ed. 



