SYLVICULTURAL NOTES ON BEECH. 235 



ready for putting out into the forest. They are usually 

 planted in pits. As a general rule, the seedlings and 

 young plants require protection in the nursery against 

 frost as well as against hot sun. 



It is not desirable to prune Beech plants. 



The process of natural regeneration under a shelter- 

 wood is, on the whole, slow ; one or more preparatory 

 cuttings are required, and if the soil be not sufficiently 

 prepared at the advent of a seed year, it must be worked 

 (wounded) ; the seeding cutting is comparatively light, 

 and the cuttings in the final stage are regulated by the 

 character of the locality and the requirements of the 

 young crop. Under favourable circumstances the whole 

 regeneration period may be completed in 10 years, but 

 frequently extends to 20 years and even more. 



i. Tending. 



Fertility of the Soil. Fully-stocked Beech woods pre- 

 serve and even improve the fertility of the soil to a 

 greater extent than any other species, owing to their dense 

 foliage up to an advanced age, and the heavy fall of 

 leaves. 



External Dangers. Late frosts are the greatest enemy 

 of Beech ; during early youth they kill or seriously 

 damage the plants, and even later on the tender parts of 

 the tree are liable to suffer ; hence it must be raised under 

 shelter, which is provided either by the old crop, or by 

 a special shelter- wood of hardy species, such as Scotch 

 Pine, Birch, and Larch; Austrian Pine will also do. 

 In natural regenerations, the edges of the shelter-wood 

 must be kept as dense as possible to afford protection 



