78 SEEDING AND PLANTING 



"The results of past work have been so conclusive that direct 

 seeding without some form of rough cultivation is now practically 

 abandoned on the National Forests." 



The unfavorable results from direct seeding on unprepared soil 

 have led to a rapid increase in artificial regeneration by planting. 

 Whether we shall ultimately come to clear-cutting mature stands 

 followed by artificial regeneration, as is extensively practiced in 

 Europe today, 1 remains for the future to determine. It is rea- 

 sonably certain that large areas of culled hardwood stands will 

 be changed ultimately to pine and other conifers by clear-cutting 

 followed by seeding or planting. 



Through the efforts of the Gayer 2 and Burckhardt 3 school of 

 silviculture, there is now in Europe a strong reaction from clear- 

 cutting followed by artificial regeneration and the number of 

 practitioners that advocate natural regeneration in mixed stands 

 under a long rotation is constantly increasing. More attention 

 is being given to the management of forests to make natural regen- 

 eration possible. 



On sites that permit a choice between natural and artificial 

 regeneration, the following three points should be carefully con- 

 sidered : 



a. The cost of each method of developing an acceptable stand. 



6. The time required to complete the stand by each method. 



c. The differences in the character of the stand attained by 

 each method. 



2. The Cost of Natural Regeneration as Compared with 

 Artificial 



The generally accepted idea that natural regeneration is far 

 less expensive than either seeding or planting is not always borne 

 out in practice. Natural regeneration requires that the final 

 cuttings be so arranged that at least a portion of the trees remain 

 on or adjacent to the area to be regenerated until the new crop 

 is established. When the new crop is attained by seeding or 

 planting, the old stand can be removed in a single cutting. In 

 natural regeneration it may be necessary to remove the old stand 



1 Mayr, Heinrich: Waldbau auf naturgesetzlecher Grundlage. p. 361. 

 Berlin, 1909. 



2 Gayer, Karl: Der Waldbau. Berlin, 1898. 



3 Burckhardt, Albert: Saen und Pflanzen. Trier, 1893. 



