206 FELLING AND CONVERSION OF TIMBER. 



(loop layer of snow, in order to protect the young growth from 

 damage during the removal of the timher. During summer, 

 when vegetation is in full activity and tender shoots are 

 injured so easily, hroadleaved forests should be left alone ; and 

 the same rule should be applied also to coniferous woods with 

 natural regeneration, unless the winter is too severe for 

 fellings ; but, even then, the period between the sprouting 

 of the young shoots and their full development should be one 

 of repose. 



Thinnings in young woods are done best whilst the trees 

 are in full foliage, and the best season for them is autumn. 

 When, however, quickly grown, slender poles in a densely- 

 grown wood are thinned late in the autumn, in exposed 

 localities subject to breakage by snow or rime, they are 

 very liable to be bent or broken ; whilst, if the thinning be 

 executed in spring or summer, they have time to become 

 stronger and often to escape the danger. Whenever injured 

 trees, broken by the wind or snow, or killed by insects, have 

 to be felled, this is usually done in summer for broadleaved 

 woods ; but in coniferous woods the injured trees should be 

 felled as soon after the damage as possible, unless some of the 

 trees are used as trap-trees for beetles. 



For pruning the branches of broadleaved trees, provided the 

 wounds are tarred, autumn and early winter are the best seasons, 

 but in the case of resinous conifers, pruning may be done at 

 any season. 



[Where tarring is not effected, February is the best month 

 for pruning. Tr.] 



For coppice, late winter is the best felling season, for if the 

 wood is felled early in the winter, it happens frequently that 

 the stools are killed by the severe cold. Whenever, for certain 

 reasons, -autumn or winter foliage are necessary, the stools 

 should be cut as deeply as possible in the ground. Cutting 

 coppice during the period of vegetation gives rise to weakly 

 coppice-shoots. [Standards over coppice cannot be felled till 

 the underwood is cut and removed, and as oak trees are 

 usually barked, this felling cannot then be done till May, 

 when the bark peels easily. Tr.] 



Wherever stumps are to be extracted, this is done generally 



