PURE AND MIXED WOODS 41 



grower and then one of the fast grower. As a general rule 

 not more than two species should be intimately mixed together 

 on any one spot, as otherwise difficulties may arise later on 

 owing to the different rates of height growth. 



When the species to be grown vary considerably in height- 

 growth it is best to separate them by planting in groups of 

 one species only. The groups may vary in size from a few 

 square yards up to an acre or so according to circumstances. 

 No group consisting of a light-demander should be large enough 

 to become practically a pure wood. The size and shape of the 

 group may depend on the nature of the soil, but no hard and 

 fast rule can be laid down about this. In natural woods the 

 different species are usually found in irregular patches and 

 groups, and it is this arrangement that the woodman should 

 try to imitate, always trying to get as intimate a mixture as 

 he can without risk of one species ousting the other. For 

 instance, where it is decided to plant oak and beech, if it is 

 known that, in the locality to be planted, the oak grows faster 

 than the beech, the two species may be planted in alternate 

 lines, because there will be no fear of the oak being suppressed 

 and the beech will grow very well in the shade thrown by the 

 oaks, and the intimate mixture obtained will be excellent. 

 If, however, the beech is the faster grower, as it often is on 

 certain soils, the two species should be put into separate 

 groups, each group of oak being surrounded with beech. By 

 doing this, only the outer oaks will be suppressed, while those 

 in the centre of each group will grow into fine trees. If the 

 groups of oak are fairly small to start with, the number of 

 trees in each group being gradually reduced in the thinnings, 

 a fairly intimate mixture of oak and beech will finally be 

 obtained. 



By planting in groups, any number of species may be grown 

 in a wood, each in a separate group, and the wood as a whole 

 will have the character and advantages of a mixed wood. 

 In the author's opinion, the formation of mixed woods by 



