THE COPPICE SYSTEMS 181 



Continuance of such treatment results in steady deteriora- 

 tion of the forest. 



The Reproduction Cuttings. The poor results of 

 this careless and haphazard way of treating second-growth 

 stands are avoided by the systematic application of the 

 pole-wood system. The aim of the method is to secure 

 an advance reproduction of seedlings wherever there is a 

 possibility that sprout reproduction will not be complete. 

 This is accomplished by making a thinning to open the 

 canopy sufficiently for natural reproduction. When the 

 seedlings have become established, the rest of the timber 

 is removed in one or more operations. 



This system is in reality, therefore, the shelterwood 

 system with a short rotation and the use of both seedling 

 and sprout reproduction. Ordinarily there is no need 

 of a preparatory cutting. Most of the hardwoods with 

 which it will be used are intolerant of shade, and do not 

 form a heavy canopy. Usually there is not a heavy layer 

 of litter and humus. Since the trees are windfirm, a 

 preparatory cutting as a precaution against windfall is 

 not needed. The first cutting is, therefore, a seed-cut- 

 ting. 



The selection of the trees in this seed-cutting de- 

 pends primarily on how far reproduction by sprouts can 

 be counted on. If there is uncertainty as to the sprout- 

 ing of most of the stumps, the effort should be to get a 

 fairly general distribution of seed over the whole area. 

 Thus, in the case of a mixed stand of oak and hickory 

 from 60 to 70 years old, the period of greatest vigor of 



