80 ENGLISH WOODLANDS 



at which the remaining trees stand apart from 

 each other, or in other words, to reduce the 

 density of the crop. The necessity of some 

 reduction in the density is made apparent by a 

 consideration of what would happen if no reduc- 

 tion in density was artificially made. In the 

 absence of any reduction in density, all the trees 

 would rise for some years in an even height, 

 like a crop of corn. In a poor soil there would 

 be no further growth, the ground would be 

 matted with roots and exhausted. The few 

 leaves on the tops of the trees would be insuffi- 

 cient for respiration, and the result would be 

 the eventual disappearance of the whole crop. 

 Even in a more fertile situation the result would 

 be the same for the majority of the trees — namely, 

 eventual disappearance — but the history of the 

 more vigorous trees would be that they would 

 rise above the level of the crop and thus obtain 

 sufficient light and air to support life, and by 

 the shade of their boughs they would hasten 

 the death of the remainder. At later stages of 

 growth, as the existing trees increased in size 

 they would crowd each other, and further 

 struggles for existence would arise, until at last, 

 by the disappearance of all the others, a few 

 remaining trees would have sufficient light and 



