54 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



revenue would result from the strengthening of the personnel to 

 an extent that would allow of working very intensively. One 

 school would say that the proper course of operations is to 

 begin with a "cleaning" (meaning thereby practically only the 

 freeing of the heads of the more valuable species threatened by 

 species of less value) in the thicket stage, followed by frequent, 

 but cautious, thinnings till the forest has attained its full height- 

 growth (at about some 60 years of age perhaps), after which the 

 thinnings may be less frequent but more thorough. M. Fatou, 

 however, considers that it would be of great value to begin 

 at the thicket stage, not merely with a "cleaning" (as above 

 defined), but actually with a true thinning, to free the heads of 

 the more promising stems, since in point of fact a close thicket 

 means excessive competition for the moisture in the soil. This 

 thinning of a thicket is something of a counsel of perfection, but 

 we think would be sound if the time for it could be found. This 

 operation should, according to M. Fatou, be followed by what 

 is called ordinarily the " first thinning," at about the age of 

 15 or 20 years, but we think the time for this operation should 

 really be fixed by the condition of the young wood — since in 

 some places, probably in most, beech is far too slow-growing 

 for such an early date. In this operation he would completely 

 clear the heads of the "stems of the future" so that they touch 

 no other crowns around them, and this he considers a matter of 

 the first importance. The thinnings that follow, up to 60 years 

 of age, should, according to him, again free the heads of the 

 "stems of the future" from all contact, after which the thinnings 

 need not be so severe. By that time he believes the stems left 

 standing will all have nearly sufficiently large crowns for their 

 needs. He thinks (and this also connotes intensive working) 

 the thinnings should be at 6-year intervals, up to 60 years of 

 age, every 8 years from 60 to 90, and every 10 years or so 

 after that. 



It will be seen that M. Fatou's method is less cautious in the 

 early stages, but more so later, than the method stated at the 

 beginning of this section, and it is a question whether as good 

 height-growth would be attained by his plan. 



In this connection it is arguable whether the principle of 

 picking out the "stems of the future" and thinning all round 

 them is preferable to the other system by which one considers 



