38 TRANSAC'JIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH AKBOKICUI/JURAL SOCIETY. 



the Saxon plan and work upon a short rotation combined with 

 heavy thinnings, especially towards the time of clear-felling. 

 The recognition of the influence of thinnings upon soil expecta- 

 tion value and its culmination point has affected the degree of 

 thinning to a marked extent in Saxony, and now considerably 

 more wood is felled in this form than was formerly the case. 

 There is also a silvicultural reason, quite apart from financial 

 consideration, which favours opener woods, and that is the 

 better decomposition of the " raw humus " which is so prevalent 

 in the drier conifer forests of Saxony. It must, however, be 

 understood that what is described in England as an open wood, 

 would be referred to by Continental foresters as land with a few 

 trees scattered over it. 



Preponderance of Spruce. — The following list shows approxi- 

 mately the areas of high-forest covered by different species in the 

 Saxon woods as a whole : — 



These figures show the enormous preponderance of spruce 

 over other species, the area under spruce being greater than 

 under all other species together. It will also be noted here 

 what a very unimportant part larch plays in the woods of 

 Saxony. The reasons for the great predominance of spruce are 

 not difficult to find. The chief one is the financial reason. 

 Spruce undoubtedly gives a far better financial return than any 

 other tree over a very large part of the wooded area, the dry 

 sandy plains of the north forming the area where Scots pine 

 not only grows better, but also, which is quite a different matter, 

 gives a greater monetary yield. The tree tvhich grows best on a 

 given piece of land is not alivays the most profitable tree., as the 

 profit depends more upon the relative prices and the relative quantities 

 of timber produced than iipon the relative degrees of vita lit}' of the 

 trees concerned. This is one of the most important lessons which 

 a study of Saxon forestry teaches. In other words, do not plant 

 the tree that grows best simply because it grows best, but plant 



