SYLVICULTURAL SYSTEM. 307 



As to the different kinds of high forest, clear cutting, shelter- 

 wood system, group system, selection forest, or their modi- 

 fied forms, it should be remembered that clear cutting is 

 most easy to carry out, and that the selection system is most 

 favourable for the protection of the quality of the locality, 

 while the intermediate forms stand between these two ex- 

 tremes. Again, clear cutting exposes the. growth most to 

 dangers ; at the same time it is generally obligatory in the 

 case of light- demanding species. Its drawbacks can, to some 

 extent, be reduced by making the coupes of small extent. 

 Still, it should only be followed in the case of hardy 

 species. 



The question as to which of the forms of high forest gives 

 the highest returns, has been much discussed. On the whole, 

 a carefully carried out system of clear cutting, with a suitable 

 species, may be expected to give the best financial results; 

 the ordinary shelter- wood system approaches it in this respect, 

 while even higher returns have been claimed for some of its 

 modifications, such as the two-storied high forest, or the 

 system of isolated trees in conjunction with an underwood. 



In how far a locality can, under the clear cutting system, 

 maintain the higher returns (if any) depends on the nature of 

 the soil and the climate. Where these are not favourable, one 

 of the shelter-wood systems is certainly to be preferred. The 

 latter are absolutely essential in the case of species which are 

 tender during early youth. 



Coppice woods make smaller demands on the chemical and 

 physical properties of the soil ; they have a much smaller 

 capital, and generally give a higher mean annual forest per 

 cent. ; owing to the shortness of the rotation, the danger of 

 damage from outside (excepting frost and deer) is much 

 smaller, and the whole management can be more regular and 

 safer than in the case of high forest. On the other hand, 

 coppice gives smaller quantities and lower quality, except in 

 special cases as for instance where tanning bark, hop-poles, or 

 vine-stakes are produced. Coppice is only possible in the 



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