TENDING OF WOODS 61 



with their crowns, alone makes this possible. A full crop 

 naturally casts more leaves than a sparse one. Not only so, 

 but under the shelter and shade of the former a much better 

 kind of mould, known as " mild " humus, is formed, which 

 easily becomes incorporated with the mineral soil. The 

 preservation of this valuable product ought to be the constant 

 care of the forester. Its presence makes a poor soil rich ; 

 without it, even the best soil deteriorates. The importance 

 of humus and its origin must not be forgotten when con- 

 sidering the subject of the following pages. 



Weeding, or Preliminary Thinning 



The term " weeding " is here used in its sylvicultural sense 

 of a preliminary thinning, and implies the act of removing, 

 early, material not intended to take part in the development 

 of the wood. 



Weedings are the cuttings that take place from the time 

 of the formation of the wood to the stage when the lower 

 branches of the trees begin to fall off a condition brought 

 about by keeping the young plants close together and limiting 

 the light 'fco the upper portion of the crowns. 



Twisted and prematurely broad-crowned trees, and species 

 (e.g. Birch, Aspen, and Mountain Ash) that have sprung 

 up from naturally sown seed or coppice, but which are not 

 desired, are "weeded out." Where a wood contains trees 

 (nurses), whose one object is to provide temporary shelter, 

 the opportunity is taken at this time to remove them. In 

 situations where the young trees are apt to suffer badly 

 from bending or crushing by snow, it is found serviceable to 

 merely take the tops from the undesirable members rather 

 than to at once cut them away entirely. 



The financial returns from any standard trees that may 

 remain from the previous rotation, and which are felled during 

 this period of the young wood's life, ought to be credited to 

 the late, not to the present crop. 



Weedings should be begun early, be cautiously carried out, 



