22 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
but the selection of trees fo remain as seed-bearers, owing to 
their superiority over the other trees that have been growing 
around them. A process which includes the gradual decay, as 
well as the gradual growth, of every tree in the forest must be 
subject to a very radical alteration when felling (ze., artificial 
selection) takes the place of decay in effecting natural regenera- 
tion. Such alteration consists in an artificial process of destruc-: 
tion by felling. There are different methods of effecting this, 
but those which appear to be most suitable to Scots pine are 
the “Selection” and “Strip” systems. In the former, from 12 
to 15 trees per acre are selected for seed-production. They ought 
to be distributed over the area in such a manner that some 
should stand as near to the windward edge as possible, so that 
every advantage may be gained in spreading the seed. Such 
seed-producing standard trees should be selected before the final 
felling, and should be healthy trees with crowns of medium 
breadth. It may happen, however, that from such trees having 
been partly sheltered while the whole crop was standing, the 
root-system is so weak as to make them liable to be blown 
down if exposed, hence it is wise to leave a good shelter-belt 
to windward, or to select more than the 12 to 15 standards to 
the acre needed for seed-production. 
In the second or “Strip” system, however, the regenerative 
process is not conducted uniformly over the whole area, but the 
wood is divided into strips, which are then taken in hand one 
by one, and thinned out so as to prepare the trees for seed- 
production. As soon as one strip is naturally regenerated, 
the adjoining strip is cut out, and the next two thinned; and 
so on, until the whole area is regenerated. This method is 
satisfactory in forests of large extent, and where a long strip 
can be cut, so that a large lot of trees can be sold at once, 
for a big fall always commands a higher price than a small 
lot. In regard to the width of the strips, no fixed rule can 
be laid down; they ought not, however, to be too wide. 
The best examples of natural regeneration of Scots pine are 
perhaps to be found in the north of Scotland. Balblair Wood, 
Beauly, forms a very typical and successful example, so far 
as it produced an excellent crop of young plants. The 
“Selection” system was adopted throughout, no definite rotation 
being observed, but trees being felled when required, until the 
