40 NATURAL REPRODUCTION OF FORESTS, 
they are felled, and at the same time a rope should be attached 
to the top of the trees, in order to guide them in their descent to 
where they may fall with least injury to the young plants. The 
foregoing details may be deemed sufficient for carrying out the 
practical operations of natural reproduction from seed, and may 
also be considered as applicable to both hard and soft wooded 
trees. 
Before we pass from this subject let us turn our thoughts to a 
few remarks upon the seed of Scots fir, and briefly to the demerits 
of inferior seed; a matter which must always possess a considerable 
amount of importance in connection with the process of natural 
regeneration of forests if success is to be attained. The seed of the 
Scots fir is of a light nature, consequently it is wafted by the 
wind to great distances; its winged appendages forming an 
important factor in the process. The constitution of this tree 
is extremely hardy, and it may therefore be considered invaluable 
from many points, viz., it is able to endure great extremes of cold 
and heat, factors which are of no little importance in their bear- 
ing upon the germination of the seed, and also the healthy develop- 
ment of the young trees. But while these remarks can be justly 
applied in advocating the merits of Scots fir seed, the line of 
demarcation must be drawn here, as they do not apply to the 
seeds of conifers in general. And with this I venture to offer my 
ideas, however imperfect they may be, that to carry out the 
natural reproduction of woods from seed by natural sowing, the 
vital point is to obtain strong healthy seed, with an equal distri- 
bution of it over the ground, from vigorous reserve trees during 
the whole period of regeneration. It may be asked how can such 
an operation be conducted upon the lines described, where only 
half a crop exists, and that often in a weakly condition in some 
portions of matured woods? But I am well aware of this 
unfortunate fact which undoubtedly prevails, to a great extent, 
in the woods of this country, sometimes arising from a hap- 
hazard system of management, and at other times from natural 
causes which might have easily been foreseen. Light and air 
being essential to the growth of the young plants, it is necessary, 
in order to guard against the sunlight being confined to patches, 
that the standards should be equally distributed over the entire 
area, so that the sun’s rays may not be too strong in one spot and 
too weak in another. Let us try to illustrate this point by an 
example. For instance, should the soil be of a sandy or calcareous 
