CHAP, ix.] Tending of Woods 183 



boles that is to say, for the production of stems with good 

 top-diameter relatively to the base or butt-end. 



1. Weeding and Clearing. 



Practically, weeding and clearing, and thinning, are identi- 

 cally similar measures. But in the former case the outlay is 

 properly debitable to the cost of formation of the young crop. 

 The operations are cultural charges which must be met in almost 

 every case, as well as the cost of soil-preparation, sowing, 

 planting, filling up of blanks, &c. As the outlays for weeding 

 and clearing are, as a rule, greater in thickets formed by natural 

 reproduction, or by thick sowing, than in plantations, this 

 tends to equalize the costs of formation, although lower initial 

 outlay is often claimed as an advantage of the former methods 

 over planting. Comparatively few crops are raised from seed 

 without softwoods (Birch, Aspen, Willow) at the same time 

 managing to effect a foothold on the soil, which they often 

 retain with extreme tenacity by throwing up stool-shoots and 

 suckers whenever they are cut back. They thus often interfere 

 with the normal development of the young crop only in just 

 a less degree than if they had been allowed to remain where 

 they took root uninvited. The removal of all such intruders 

 is the special aim of weeding ; whilst clearing is undertaken 

 for the removal of all such individuals, of whatever species, 

 forming part of the original crop as may, if allowed to stand 

 longer, so as to compete with them for light and air, detri- 

 mentally affect the further development of other kinds of trees 

 which it is desired to encourage or to stimulate in energy of 

 growth. 



So long as the material to be thus removed is gaining in 

 value, the object is not to remove as much as one safely can, 

 but rather to confine operations solely to the removal of what 

 is necessary for the well-being of the rest of the crop. The 

 process of clearing must be repeated as often as necessary ; 

 but under ordinary circumstances, in fairly populous tracts, 



