METHODS OF TREATMENT 105 



Conversion of Coppice-with- standards into High Forest. 



In many localities where coppice is now unsaleable 

 the owner may wish to convert his existing coppice-with- 

 standard woods into high forest. Where the underwood 

 is hazel the simplest method of doing this is to convert the 

 wood gradually, taking so long about it that by the time the 

 wood has been worked over once the first formed plantations 

 of the new crop will come in for felling. If conifers are planted 

 this period should be at least forty years, and the area cut 

 annually will be the total area divided by 40. This area of 

 the oldest coppice is cut, and the standards are also cleared, 

 with the exception of any groups young enough to take their 

 place in the new crop. It is, however, useless to leave single 

 trees, or very small groups, as these will never form good 

 timber. The area is then planted up with larch, ash, Douglas 

 fir, spruce, Corsican or Scotch pines, or other quick-growing 

 trees according to the soil. The future treatment consists of 

 keeping back the coppice shoots, which should be cut in the 

 third year after planting, and it may be necessary to repeat the 

 operation up to the sixth year. After this the seedling plants 

 will be able to keep above the coppice shoots, which will then 

 gradually die out. In each year of the rotation another area 

 is dealt with, till in the fortieth year the whole of the coppice- 

 with-standards is replaced by high forest. 



Where the existing underwood contains a large proportion 

 of oak, ash, sycamore, chestnut, or beech, it can be converted 

 into a false high forest which will grow to a paying size 

 before it is finally removed and replaced by seedling trees. 

 In this case the area of ripe coppice should not be clear cut, 

 but a heavy thinning should be made among the shoots, re- 

 ducing the number to one or two on each stool, the straightest 

 and stoutest being left. All the large size standards are 

 also removed, leaving the younger and well-grown ones. The 



