FORMATION OP MIXED WOODS. 185 



species. If this should be found insufficient, the fol- 

 lowing method must be adopted : 



<L Nat it nil Regeneration combined ivith Solving and Planting. 



Natural regeneration alone rarely leads to the desired 

 result ; only parts are successfully stocked, and sowing 

 and planting must step in to complete the business. In 

 applying this method it must b^ remembered that gene- 

 rally the more favourable parts of the area become 

 naturally stocked, leaving the inferior spots blank. If 

 only the latter were filled up by sowing or planting the 

 species which is deficient in the naturally regenerated 

 patches, it would be relegated to the bad spots, while 

 the other species would occupy the better parts ; hence 

 it is also necessary to plant a proper number of the arti- 

 ficially reproduced species within the patches already 

 naturally regenerated. 



This method is in Europe much used in the formation 

 of mixed woods of Beech with Oak, Ash and other 

 valuable timber trees. In fact it is the best method 

 for such mixtures. The valuable species are generally 

 introduced by putting in strong plants ;. sowings are 

 comparatively rare, and only admissible in the case of 

 shade-bearing species. 



2. Formation of Mixed Woods of Uneven Age. 



It has been shown that the preservation of the 

 mixture is difficult, when the trees are of the same age, 

 or nearly so, and that it requires constant care and 

 attention, lest one species should be suppressed by 



