8YLVICULTUKAL NOTES ON BEECH. 233 



tion of Beech by seed is less favourable than that of 

 most other indigenous species. 



Eeproduction from the stool is feeble, as compared 

 with other broad-leaved species ; it ceases after the age 

 of 40 years, and the stools rarely last for more than 

 three or four rotations ; it is best on marls. 



/. Character and Composition of Woods. 



Beech is eminently adapted for growing in pure woods, 

 since it shades the soil thoroughly up to an advanced 

 age, maintains and even improves its fertility, and bears 

 much shade. For the same reasons it is equally well 

 adapted to form the principal constituent of mixed woods. 

 Probably no other species equals it in this respect. 

 Trees like Oak, Ash, Maple, Elm, Silver Fir, Scotch 

 Pine, Larch, and also Spruce thrive ' best when mixed 

 with Beech ; in fact this is the case with almost any 

 species which thrive on localities suitable for Beech. 



g. Sylvicultural Systems. 



Beech is specially adapted for high forest. It is less 

 well suited for coppice woods, owing to its feeble repro- 

 ductive power from the stool. It appears as underwood 

 in coppice with standards. In high forest the rotation 

 should range between 80 and 120 years, in coppice 

 between 20 and 35 years. 



In high forest it is grown in even-aged and uneven- 

 aged woods ; large areas are treated as selection woods 

 (Buckinghamshire). It is the best species for under- 

 planting open woods of valuable timber trees. 



