SYSTEMS OF CLEAR-CUTTING 97 



most commonly used in this country. In many cases the 

 stand comprises a restricted area, which is cleared in one 

 year's operation. In other cases there may be a very 

 large stand of mature timber to be cleared, requiring 

 several years' consecutive work to finish. In the latter 

 case, the area cut in a single year is large, and is not 

 comparable to the strips or patches described in the suc- 

 ceeding sections. 



Clear-Cutting in Strips. It has been explained (page 

 86) that extensive clearings are attended with certain 

 dangers. In order to reduce these dangers, the strip 

 clear-cutting was devised. This consists of removing a 

 stand by a series of clearings in progressive strips, each 

 relatively narrow. After cutting a given strip the new 

 growth is established, and then several years are allowed 

 to elapse before the next strip is cut. The new stand 

 is in a measure protected by the neighboring trees, and 

 at no time is there a very large clearing in any one 

 place. This method is common in Europe. Its appli- 

 cation in this country will for the present be confined to 

 second-growth woodlots. 



Clear - Cutting in Patches. Under this method 

 small clearings, more or less irregular in size and shape, 

 are cut in the stand and restocked artificially. These 

 patches are usually not over one-quarter to three acres in 

 extent. After several years the clearings are enlarged 

 by strips entirely surrounding them; and these are 

 promptly restocked by planting. The process continues 

 until the stand is entirely cleared. This is another 



