THE NEW FORESTRY. 165 



In Britain it is not considered worth while to plant to nearly 

 such a high elevation, and over- thinned woods, one can believe, 

 are not likely to succeed under such conditions. The system 

 of culture adopted alone explains the main difference between 

 the forests at home and those on the Continent* In Germany 

 the cost of planting, or regeneration in any form, is very much 

 less than with us. In the first place, very few species are 

 grown, and in the second, the trees are raised in the forest and 

 planted out very small. Failures are consequently few, and 

 the cost of planting is fractional compared to the cost of plant- 

 ing on estates In Britain. In fact, buying trees is almost 

 unheard of, but seed is sometimes purchased. Strict economy 

 is the rule from beginning to end of the rotation period, and 

 accounts are kept with care and exactitude. 



Under some circumstances, in Germany, they have what 

 are called " two-storied high forest," which resembles woods in 

 this country that have been under-planted, with this difference, 

 that in Germany the second or later crop is allowed to grow up 

 with and between the older crop, so that, practically, two 

 distinct even-aged woods exist on the same, area, and the two 

 crops are cut over at the same time. (Schlich, vol. i., p. 220.) 

 This system may be likened to the practice of growing regular 

 crops of underwood in woods and cutting them down when 

 the trees are cut ; but in Germany two-storied forest is only 

 adopted when the first crop has from any cause become thin. 

 Even-aged woods are most common, and final clear cutting 

 the rule. In British woods, however, a second, or even a third 

 crop of trees or poles might often be secured, if crops from old 

 stools were taken care of and thinned and regulated instead 

 of being left to produce what is little better than brushwood. 



SECTION II. THINNING BRITISH WOODS AND PLANTATIONS 

 ON THE CONTINENTAL PRINCIPLE. AGE AND SIZE. 



In this we shall first endeavour to explain to the forester 

 or his man how to carry out the rules to be observed in 

 thinning on the above principle. From what has been said 

 before, he will understand, it is hoped, that the object of 

 thinning is not to give every tree in the plantation a clear 

 space to itself, or to admit the light and air down to the ground 



* Colonel Pearson, in his evidence before the select committee on forestry, 

 stated that even in France, climatic conditions were much the same as in 

 Britain, as far as related to forestry. 



