TENDING OF OPEN WOODS. 225 



crowned trees upon the young growth must be mitigated 

 by pruning away the lower branches of the shelter 

 trees. 



c. Retention of Standards in High Forest. 



A limited number of the most suitable trees are, after 

 the wood has been regenerated, retained as standards for 

 part or the whole of the second rotation, and in some 

 cases even for a third rotation. Only wind-firm species 

 are thoroughly suited for such treatment, and they 

 should, moreover, be thin-crowned. The number of 

 standards depends on the density of their crown and 

 the quality of the soil; only perfectly healthy,- well- 

 formed trees should be chosen, especially those which 

 have cleared themselves of branches to some height, 

 to obviate the necessity of pruning. The tending 

 of the proposed standards may usefully be commenced 

 some time before the end of the first rotation, as indicated 

 under a. 



d. Isolation of Trees in conjunction with an Underwood. 



A wood is uniformly thinned, and an underwood is 

 formed by sowing, planting, natural seeding, or by 

 coppicing a portion of the overwood. Thoroughly 

 satisfactory results are only obtained if the overwood 

 consists of thin-crowned, and the underwood of shade- 

 bearing species. In temperate Europe, Oak, Ash, Elm, 

 Larch, and Scotch Pine are the species specially suited 

 for the overwood, and Beech, Hornbeam, Silver Fir, 

 Spruce, and in some cases Sweet Chestnut and Hazel for 

 the underwood. Sometimes the underwood is itself 



VOL. II. Q 



