THE CULTIVATION OF HARDWOODS. I 57 



the protection of the soil. This method of procedure is an 

 admirable one, and well worth copying, and is altogether pre- 

 ferable to the method usually practised in this country, viz., 

 cutting out the offending tree or trees, which, besides 

 encouraging lateral-growth at the expense of height-growth, 

 destroys the canopy of the wood. Another point in favour of 

 cultivating hardwoods as recommended, is that, in tending the 

 crop, the necessity for having to resort to pruning in extensive 

 woods is obviated to a great extent. When the ground is 

 stocked with a limited number of trees per acre, pruning is 

 almost always necessary, in order to ensure a final crop of good 

 trees. Whereas, if the ground is fully stocked with the trees 

 which are to form the permanent crop, either as a pure wood 

 or as a mixture, pruning will rarely be necessary after they have 

 reached the thicket stage, because in such woods there will 

 always be found a sufficient number of good stems. When thin- 

 ning becomes necessary, great care should be exercised in con- 

 ducting this operation, overthinning, in all cases, being guarded 

 against. The first thinnings should be limited to a removal of 

 dead and dying stems, and the succeeding ones should be con- 

 ducted with the object of encouraging the development of the 

 best stems, regardless of returns from thinnings. With regard 

 to thinning, a practice was noticed in the treatment of oak and 

 beech woods in France, which is well worth mentioning. In 

 passing through a middle-aged forest near Nancy, it was very 

 noticeable that a great many small, and what appeared to be 

 useless beech had been left growing under the oaks, whose 

 stems were frequently surrounded by them, and the Excursionists 

 were informed that these had been spared purposely with the 

 object of keeping the light off the oak-stems, and thus preventing 

 the development of side-shoots. This plan serves the purpose 

 well, and could be put into practice in this country with 

 advantageous results. 



In connection with the cultivation of hardwoods, the old 

 proverb that " the exception proves the rule " holds good, as 

 there is a possibility of having a mixture of hardwoods with 

 conifers giving successful results. In the case of underplanting 

 oak or other light-demanding hardwoods in localities where 

 beech would be unmarketable, some shade-bearing species of 

 conifer might be substituted with advantage to the financial 

 returns, e.g., if the hardwoods are very open, Douglas fir — 



