352 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



and thereby deteriorate the soil conditions. And for the same rea- 

 son, in the selection of the kinds that are to be left or to be taken out, 

 we shall not only consider their use value but also their shading 

 value trying to bring about such a mixture of shady and less shady 

 kinds as will insure a continuously satisfactory crown cover, the 

 shade enduring kinds to occupy the lower stratum in the crown 

 canopy, and to be more numerous than the light-needing. 



The forester, therefore, watches first the conditions of his soil 

 cover, and his next care is for the condition of the overhead shade, 

 the "crown cover;" for a change in the condition of the latter brings 

 change into his soil conditions, and inversely, from the changes 

 in the plant cover of the soil he judges whether he may or may 

 not change the light conditions. The changes of the soil cover 

 teach him more often when "to let alone" than when to go on 

 with his operations of thinning out, that is to say, he can rarely 

 stop short of that condition which is most favorable. Hence the 

 improvement cuttings must be made with caution and only very 

 gradually, so that no deterioration of the soil conditions be invited. 

 We have repeated this injunction again and again, because all 

 success in the management of future wood crops depends upon the 

 care bestowed upon the maintenance of favorable soil conditions. 



As the object of this weeding is not only to remove the un- 

 desirable kinds from the present crop, but to prevent as much as 

 possible their reappearance in subsequent crops, it may be advis- 

 able to cut such kinds as sprout readily from the stump in summer 

 time June or July when the stumps are likely to die without 

 sprouting. It may take several years' cutting to bring the com- 

 position of the main crop into such a condition as to satisfy us. 



Methods of Reproducing the Wood Crop. Then comes the 

 period of utilizing the main crop. As we propose to keep the wood 

 lot as such, and desire to reproduce a satisfactory wood crop in place 

 of the old one, this latter must be cut always with a view to that re- 

 production. There are various methods pursued for this purpose 

 in large forestry operations which are not parcticable on small 

 areas, especially when these are expected to yield only small 

 amounts of timber, and these little by little as required. It is pos- 

 sible, to be sure, to cut the entire crop and replant a new one, or else 

 to use the ax skillfully and bring about a natural reproduction in a 

 few years; but we want in the present case to lengthen out the 

 period during which the old crop is cut, and hence must resort to 

 other methods. There are three methods practicable. 



We may clear narrow strips or bands entirely, expecting the 

 neighboring growth to furnish the seed for covering the strip with 

 a new crop "the strip method"; or we can take out single trees 

 here and there, relying again on an after-growth from seed shed by 

 the surrounding trees the "selection method" ; or, finally, instead 

 of single trees, we may cut entire groups of trees here and there in 

 the same manner, the gaps to be filled, as in the other cases, with a 

 young crop from the seed of the surrounding trees, and this we 

 may call the "group method." 



