MEN OF THE TREES 



about unhealthy conditions and that virgin forest land 

 is often stocked with trees, many of which are decayed 

 or defective, and often with those that are not the most 

 profitable kinds to grow. 



In the cultivated forests, unnecessary crowding is 

 prevented by judicious thinning and the land is kept 

 evenly and completely stocked with the most profitable 

 kinds. 



Regeneration or the renewal of forest trees on the 

 land may either be by natural seeding, artificial seeding, 

 sprouts and suckers known as coppice, planting seed- 

 lings or planting cuttings. 



The method of regeneration best adapted for one 

 place may not at all be fitted for another under differ- 

 ent conditions. In Europe natural regeneration by seed 

 is often found to be the most economic method. It can 

 be assisted by breaking the soil surface in good seed 

 years. The methods adopted to secure natural regenera- 

 tion by seed may be divided into three systems, each of 

 which may be adapted to some special conditions. These 

 are known as the selection method, the strip method 

 and the group method. 



The selection method should be by the cutting out of 

 mature and the removal of inferior trees to make room 

 for the better trees. On the other hand the strip method 

 is that which may be applied to the system where the 

 trees are removed in narrow strips across which the 

 older trees can easily scatter their seeds. Care is taken to 



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