S'otes on Som$ Bavarian Forests 



1 07 



forest roads and stop a short time 

 at several places to see the process 

 of natural regeneration by the group 

 system. 



The group system of regeneration 

 is worked as follows: When an area 

 is selected for tiiial cutting, the trees 

 are removed in eircular patches of 

 about fifty yards in diameter, a 

 mother-tree beinjf left here and there 

 for seeding purposes and shelter. 

 TJje clearinj^s are comparatively 

 close to one another, say, within fifty 

 yards; the object of keeping the 

 clearings so small is to avoid expos- 

 ing the ground too much to the sun 

 and light, which encourages the 

 growtli of grass and weeds, whereas 

 the young seedlings do best under 

 shade. In about four years' time, if 

 the clearings have been made at a 

 favourable time when the mother- 

 trees are 'Producing seed crops, the 

 ground will be covered by a thick 

 crop of young seedlings. When this 

 has been accomplished, a second cut- 

 ting is made : this is done by en- 

 larging the circular patches, and 

 cutting out a ring round each cir- 

 cular patch, so that the circular 

 clearings are now almost touching 

 each other. Another period of four 

 years is allowed to lapse for the 

 newlv cut ground to become covered 

 with seedlings. When this has been 

 accDtuplislicd. tl;c remaining trees 

 are removed with the exception of, 

 perhaps, a few trees to complete the 

 sowing of any bare portion ; or hand 

 plantiniT is resorted to. in order to 

 fill in gaps. 



The above is a brief description of 

 icgenerafion by the group system. 

 As 1 .saw it at Kc^llieim, it appeared 

 to be working admirably and there 

 was a splendid crop of young spruce 

 coming up where the jjround had 

 been cleared 



There are other methods of regen- 

 eration, siu'h as cutting out long 

 narrow strips, which, in time, will 

 ])»» restocked from seed, carried by 

 the wind. The strips should be nar- 

 row to prevent the growth of grass 

 and weeds: all bare patches that 



have not seeded well are hand- 

 planted. 



The Germans lay considerable 

 stress on shelter, and always begin 

 cutting on the leeward side, away 

 from the prevailing wind. They 

 also, when afforesting an exposed or 

 cold site, provide some shelter trees, 

 such as birch, to protect the young 

 .seedlings, especially in cases where 

 land is being prepared to receive a 

 forest cron for the first time. 



I am of opinion that, if nature is 

 assisted by science in the natural 

 regeneration of forest lands, which 

 have been allowed to deteriorate, 

 much labour, time, and expense will 

 be .saved. 



It is possible that this branch of 

 the subject might be profitably 

 studied and a^nlied to conditions, 

 such as exist in Canada to-day, and 

 that vast areas in Canada might be 

 reforested with valuable timber by 

 the practical application of scienti- 

 fic principles. 



In fact. I mio'ht go further and 

 state that it will be practically im- 

 possible to reforest a crreat deal of 

 what was former forest land in Can- 

 ada, without a.ssisting nature by the 

 apt>lication of methods which have 

 been devised by close scientific 

 studv. 



THE NEWLY-APPOINTED BISHOP OF 

 REOINA. 



Hearty oon^ratulatioii.s will be extend- 

 ed by the members of the Forestry Asso- 

 ciation to Ki};ht Reverend Mgr. Mathieu, 

 late rector of Laval University, Quebec, on 

 his elevation to the bishopric of Regina. 

 M);r. Mathieu was, at the last annual 

 meetin}» of the Canadian Forestry Asso- 

 ciation, elected to the directorate in the 

 place of the late Mjjr. .1. C. K. Laflamme. 

 Xot only has M^r. Mathieu attained a 

 hi.i;h degree of honor in academic circles, 

 having; received the degrees of doctor of 

 theology and doctor of philosophy, but he 

 has aKso been honored with the distinction 

 of C. M. G. and is a Knight of the Legion 

 of Honor of France. 



Attention is called to the advertisement 

 for a woods superintendent in another col- 

 umn. 



