90 TRANSACTIONS OF ROVAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



about 14 7o> while elm and hornbeam, etc., form about 1 "/„. 

 Among the conifers spruce predominates, while silver fir, larch 

 and Scots pine form the other species. It is interesting to note 

 that the conifers are mainly confined to the right bank of the 

 Sihl where the soil is inferior to that of the left bank. All the 

 species have very good height-growth^ beech especially yielding 

 very tall stems of good quality timber. 



Mafiagemeni. — This forest has been treated as high-forest 

 for over 1000 years, and has been under regular management 

 since the thirteenth century. The proportion between the broad- 

 leaved species and the conifers has varied from time to time. The 

 aim of the present management is to increase the percentage 

 of conifers, and thus establish equal proportions of both conifers 

 and hardwoods. 



The areas are for the most part regenerated naturally under 

 the Shelter Wood Compartment system, the regeneration 

 period of the broad-leaved species being about 7 years, 

 while that of the conifers is about 15 years. The thinnings 

 lead on to " preparatory fellings " which are followed in 

 about 3 years' time by "seed fellings"; the "final fellings" 

 are then carried out after an interval of about 7 years. The 

 direction of felling is not in any way influenced by prevailing 

 winds, so that cuttings proceed from north to south and south 

 to north in the two working-sections into which the forest is 

 divided. It is thought that by increasing the regeneration 

 period from 7 to 15 years or more, and adopting the group 

 System of regeneration where possible, conifers will be favoured 

 and the mixture will be more efficiently controlled. 



In the spring after " final fellings " have been made, the felled 

 area is cleared of timber and any young growth injured in the 

 operation is removed. During the second year spruce is planted 

 in groups and larch singly in the young crop. The planting 

 material is taken from small nurseries when 4 years old and 

 is put out at distances of 4 feet apart. The first regular 

 cleaning is made in the 8-year-old wood, and consists in the 

 removal of bad stems and weeds (poplars and willows), and of 

 freeing some of the valuable species. There is a second cleaning 

 made 5 years later, which consists in the removal of stems 

 overgrowing and suppressing the planted conifers, and of such 

 of the other stems as may have been injured by snow. These 

 operations lead on to the first of the real thinnings which take 



