IMPRESSIONS OF FORESTRY IN THE SCHWARZVVALD. 1 65 



Sulzburg range, under the skilful management obtaining there, 

 the natural regeneration is as near perfection as one could well 

 imagine. 



If the advantages and disadvantages of the " selection " 

 system and the shelter-wood compartment system are com- 

 pared, it can be claimed in favour of the former, that there is a 

 complete protection of the soil and less liability to damage from 

 storms. These are very important matters in high altitudes on 

 the steep mountain sides where the system is chiefly practised. 

 On the other hand, the " selection " system is one which requires 

 a greater amount of skill than any other, not only on the part of 

 the forest officer but on that of every grade in the service. 

 Another objection to the system is that there is a greater per- 

 centage of rough branchy timber than under the shelter-wood 

 compartment system ; but this disadvantage is less pronounced 

 when regeneration proceeds by means of small groups or hursts, 

 in preference to that by means of individual trees, and experience 

 in Baden has shown that the financial results are at anyrate as 

 good as under any other system. 



The shelter-wood compartment system also provides for 

 good soil-protection, and is productive of a much larger percent- 

 age of clean timber of high technical value. There would, 

 however, be a somewhat greater liability to damage from storms 

 than under the " selection " system. Natural regeneration is 

 usually very complete under this system also, and it is the 

 preferable one at the lower altitudes where the better class soils 

 are more abundant. When the time for regeneration comes 

 round, if there is a mixture of beech trees in the silver fir stands, 

 the former are cut away almost entirely, otherwise there would 

 be too much beech in the young crop, and there would be a 

 danger of the silver fir being suppressed unless expensive 

 cleanings were resorted to. Two or three good beech seed 

 trees per hectare are usually considered sufficient to leave at the 

 seeding stage, but old suppressed beech trees not likely to 

 produce seed are left for a time to protect the soil and the young 

 growth. Later on, when no longer required, those suppressed 

 beeches are cut away. By means such as these, almost perfect 

 regeneration of the silver fir can be eff'ected. 



The oak forests do not occupy a large percentage of the 

 whole. They occupy the lower slopes with limestone soils of 

 better quality. Their area has been much curtailed by the 



