CLASSES OF WOODS 177 



at once, of a profit being obtained from their sale and 

 clearance. 



The second class of woods for consideration are 

 those from about thirty-five to fifty years old Scots 

 pine, Scots pine and spruce, or with a few additional 

 larch in mixture. These may have been grown to 

 produce pit props, as in the instances at Raith (on a 

 forty-year rotation) in Fife, or the original idea may 

 have been to grow them on a longer rotation for large 

 timber. It will be for consideration now whether it 

 will be more profitable, and to the greater interests of 

 the nation, to clear fell these areas and convert the 

 material into pitwood. 



It is unnecessary to consider here at any length 

 the next class, old mature, or nearly mature, woods. 

 With a good market their removal will be financially 

 desirable. 



The next class, from the scientific forester's point 

 of view, is certainly not the least important. This 

 consists of immature woods from about thirty years 

 of age and upwards, in which thinnings can be made. 

 In all accessible woods of any size, these thinnings 

 should provide a considerable amount of pitwood 

 material. The important point will be that the 

 thinnings should be made with care, the trees to be 

 removed being marked beforehand by a reliable 

 forester well acquainted with the principles of scientific 

 thinning. 



Finally, for general purposes there are the few pure 

 spruce, larch woods, and various hardwoods. Of pure 

 spruce there are few in this country. Such as are 

 available will doubtless be marketed at a profit. 



