FOREST UTILISATION 107 



Birch, and Alder bear practically every alternate year ; Scots 

 Pine and Silver Fir have full crops every third or fourth 

 year, though their periodicity is not so regular as with Oak 

 and Beech. 



Certain seeds must be collected before they fall to the 

 ground Silver Fir, Spruce, Scots Pine, Hornbeam, Syca- 

 more, Lime, and Acacia. The seeds or fruits of other 

 trees may be gathered after being naturally shed ; this plan 

 is invariably adopted with acorns and beech nuts. With 

 Elm, Ash, Birch, Alder, Maple, and Sycamore the seed is 

 either taken direct from the boughs, or the twigs are picked 

 off and subsequently stripped. 



The once almost universal practice of feeding pigs on mast 

 in Oak and Beech woods has nearly ceased to exist. From 

 the forester's point of view the absence of these animals is 

 rather regrettable, for they did good work in turning over the 

 soil and devouring injurious insects. 



The use of the forest during certain periods for grazing 

 purposes has become more and more restricted in recent 

 times, and the cutting of grass ought to be kept strictly 

 under the control of the woodland owners. 



Peat need only be referred to as a commodity frequently 

 used as fuel by the people employed in the forest, though much 

 of it, not well adapted for burning, can be profitably utilised 

 as moss litter, while even the dusty residue is used in stables 

 and auction marts on account of its disinfectant properties. 



Formerly resin-tapping obtained extensively in the coniferous 

 forests of Germany ; the practice has been discontinued in 

 that country, but in France resin-tapping gives rise to an 

 important industry. 



Fallen branches for fuel, berries, and edible fungi can 

 considerably benefit the industrious poor, but are without 

 value to the proprietor. 



In certain parts some return is obtained from such by- 

 products as sand, gravel, stones, etc. ; the value of these 

 materials is, of course, entirely dependent on local circum- 

 stances. 



