CARE OF THE WOODLAND 213 



such species add wonderful color and attractiveness to the 

 forest scene, especially along the roads and paths, and 

 should be favored as much as the other hardier trees. One 

 must not mark too severely in one spot or the soil will be 

 dried out from exposure to sun and wind. When the gaps 

 between the trees are too large, the trees will grow m.ore 

 slowly and the trunks will become covered with numerous 

 shoots or suckers w^hich deprive the crowns of their necessary 

 food and cause them to "die back." Where the trees are 

 tall and slim or on short and steep hillsides, it is also 

 important to be conservative in marking in order that the 

 stand may not be exposed to the dangers of windfall. No 

 hard-and-fast rule can be laid down as to what would 

 constitute a conservative percentage of trees to cut down. 

 This depends entirely on the local conditions and on the 

 exposure of the woodlot. But in general it is not well to 

 remove more than twenty per cent of the stand nor to 

 repeat the cutting on the same spot oftener than once in 

 five or six years. The first cutting will, of course, be the 

 heaviest and all subsequent cuttings will becom-e lighter 

 and lighter until the woodlot is put in good growing con- 

 dition. On private estates and parks, where beauty is the 

 chief aim, the woodland should be kept as natural, informal 

 and as thick as possible. Where ihe woodland is cut up 

 by many paths and drives, density of veg tation will add 

 to the impression of depth and distance. 



Protection. This subject has already been discussed 

 considera ly in the previous study on Forestry, and here 

 it becomes necessary merely to add a few suggestions with 

 special reference to private and park woodlands. 



Guarding woodlands from fire is the most important 

 form of protection. Surface fires are very common on small 

 woodland holdings and the damage done to the standing 



