172 THE PRINCIPLES OF HANDLING WOODLANDS 



the trees, reducing their vitality and sprouting vigor. 

 The result has been that many stumps fail to sprout, the 

 density of stocking by good species is reduced, and the 

 growth and final yield are greatly diminished. 



Willow culture is an example of simple coppice, han- 

 dled on a small scale and on a very short rotation. 



Age of Cutting. There is an age of maximum sprout- 

 ing vigor, which varies with different species and under 

 different conditions of site. It occurs in early life, and 

 ordinarily under 25 years. There is also a maximum 

 age limit of sprouting. This may, in individual cases, be 

 over 100 years. It is later with trees from the seed than 

 with trees that have originated from sprouts. There is 

 a point in the life of a stand of sprouts when certain indi- 

 viduals become defective and weakened, and reach the 

 limit of their power to send up vigorous shoots. If a 

 stand is cut after this period, some stumps fail to sprout, 

 and reproduction by this means is incomplete. This 

 period is usually from 25 to 40 years of age. 



In simple coppice management the stands must be 

 cut young enough to insure sprouting from practically all 

 stumps, and the cutting should take place as near the age 

 of greatest sprouting vigor as practicable. In Europe, 

 oak coppice is often cut on a rotation of from 10 to 

 1 5 years. Experiments have shown that oak at this age 

 sprouts most vigorously and consistently, and that the 

 coppice system of regular cropping can be maintained 

 more successfully, and with less work of replacement and 

 fewer failures, than with a longer rotation. In some 



