Tree Planting and Tree Felling 



55 



sending up a number of new shoots from their stump. 

 These shoots are valued in the oak for their bark, and 

 in the ash and willow for basket making. They can 

 be collected every few years, and others will spring up 

 in their place. A wood that has been treated like this 

 is called a coppice. If you want to turn your plantation 

 into a coppice the oaks will be ready for felling when 

 they are about 20 years old, and they must of course not 

 have their roots taken up but should be cut down close 

 to the ground. 



Fig. 31. Two methods of tree felling, (a) With axe and saw ; 

 (6) with axe only. 



In considering this plantation of yours I have made 

 no mention of the many trials you may have had to 

 fight against. Rabbits and other small animals often 

 do a lot of mischief by nibbling bark from the young 

 trees. Other dangers are storms, fires, and insect pests. 

 We guarded against the first of these three by using a 

 mixture of deep and shallow rooted trees, and fires are 

 not likely to do much damage in the damp climate of 



