140 PRACTICAL FORESTRY 
pear upon the forest-floor, a series of progressive thin- 
nings is conducted, and when the young crop is well 
A CORNER IN THE NURSERY AT AXTON. 
under way, and no longer in need of protection, the 
mother- and shelter-trees are completely removed. 
The coppice system is commonly practised in 
our South, where oak and hickory are cut in the pole 
stage for firewood. Large areas of oak are treated 
in this way in Europe, mainly for the bark, which is 
used in tanning leather. Coppice is usually allowed 
a very short rotation, except, perhaps, in the case of 
chestnut, which is especially valuable for telegraph 
and telephone poles. In every case the stump should 
be very carefully cut with a sharp ax. In the case 
