NATURE AS THE FORESTER'S GUIDE. 63 



difficult to describe on paper than to carry out in practice. 

 Some people maintain that our best timber has been got from 

 unthinned woods— referring to the imported article and to our 

 old natural forests when, as they say, there were no foresters 

 to spoil the crop by thinning. 



These, however, were the produce of nature when the trees in 

 their younger stages of growth were of different ages, size, and 

 vigour, so that although the smaller ones may suffer and become 

 suppressed they act as undergrowth to the dominating trees 

 and prevent the expansion of strong side branches, thus com- 

 pelling them to produce clean and close-grained timber without 

 the aid of artificial thinning. Moreover, the production of this 

 timber took hundreds of years, and perhaps no rates or taxes 

 had to be paid on the land. 



All trees are not alike in their requirements for growing space, 

 there being light-demanding and shade-bearing varieties. It is, 

 therefore, necessary to observe that sufficient growing space be 

 provided to suit the requirements of each class. Most of our 

 light-demanding conifers, if once deprived of their necessary 

 amount of live foliage, never have the power to regain it, and 

 will remain lean, stunted poles. 



The effect of wind in this country is probably the greatest 

 difficulty in the way of successful rearing of clean, well-grown 

 trees. A proper margin consisting of hardy well-rooted varieties 

 clothed to the ground with healthy foliage will obviate the 

 danger to a great extent. 



The period of rotation is also a matter for consideration 

 in the management of plantations. In a situation difficult of 

 access, where the extraction of heavy trees would be costly, 

 early realisation, or the production of light poles or mining 

 timbers, may be the most profitable. At this stage the trees 

 can be easily handled. A greater number of stems can be 

 grown on the same area of ground, while two crops can be 

 produced in the time it would take to produce one of matured 

 timber. 



Whatever object the planter has in view, it should be his 

 endeavour to assist nature in the production of the greatest 

 quantity of the most valuable timber. 



