CONTINENTAL NOTES FRANCE. 49 



gap of the side branches of the neighbouring trees will kill off 

 most of the regeneration. A Selection-worked forest is a con- 

 fused mixture of trees of all sizes, which means a great deal 

 of breakage among the trees that are to remain when fellings 

 take place. It generally also means that the tallest trees are 

 removed, leaving the more or less dominated stems which, 

 through partial suppression, have lost vigour. He argues, 

 therefore, for making the felling gaps large on a north aspect, 

 moderate on east and west aspects, but small on south aspects, 

 which receive more light. M. Berthon is speaking of Alpine 

 spruce forests, but if we do not often meet similar conditions 

 in this country the argument still applies to other species, as 

 for example to beech. It is usual in some neighbourhoods to 

 mark beech for sale very much as is done in the case above 

 quoted, and that without any reference to seed years. The 

 result is not, indeed, a complete lack of regrowth, but one 

 which is too thin, so that the stems branch too low and the 

 amount of wood put on per acre is much too small. Large 

 gaps made for regeneration in beech woods have, however, 

 in certain conditions, one great drawback. If the soil is clay, 

 and if the wood before felling has been insufficiently dense to 

 kill out completely the bramble, which is ordinarily found on 

 clay, this latter develops with extreme intensity so soon as 

 light is let in by a heavy felling. But all beech woods do not 

 hold brambles, and I am persuaded that where the bramble 

 is naturally absent, or can be kept in check, felling by large 

 gaps is the true method, and will result in close-grown, tall 

 and straight timber in fairly large groups of one age. I think 

 the matter is well worth consideration, for my experience is 

 that, as a rule, no careful thought for the future is taken 

 when marking in beech woods. We might have double the 

 amount of material per acre if we grew our beech woods 

 closely from the start, and kept our thinnings within much 

 more discreet limits than is usual with us. What is possible 

 may be seen, for example, by anyone travelling from Brussels 

 towards Luxemburg, as the train runs through the Foret 

 de Soigne, near the former place. It is a lesson we badly 

 need to learn. 



In connection with Selection as a method of treatment, 

 we may note that there are those who say that the actual 

 outturn is larger than under other methods of treatment. The 



VOL, XXVI. PART I. D 



