34 ENGLISH WOODLANDS 



In districts where there is a remunerative sale 

 of young trees, as for hop poles, the subsequent 

 thinnings should be repeated every three years, 

 until the trees are too big for sale as poles. 



In these thinnings the worst trees should 

 always be selected for removal, and the density 

 may be reduced until the trees stand so far apart 

 that the extremities of the boughs only touch 

 each other. The advantage of these removals 

 of a fairly large number of trees is that if some 

 return, at an early period in the growth of a 

 plantation, is obtained, it makes a great differ- 

 ence in the financial result. The risk of check- 

 ing upward growth is not very serious, because 

 at this early period the young trees have such 

 vigour that probably the required density would 

 be soon renewed. 



It is an excellent rule to thin larch planta- 

 tions moderately and often ; therefore, where 

 time and expense are of minor importance, 

 subsequent thinnings from the first until a height 

 of about 25 to 30 feet has been reached may 

 take place every three years, even in the absence 

 of a remunerative sale of the removed trees. 



In ordinary cases, where time and expense 

 are of considerable importance, a thinning about 

 every ten years will be sufficient during the 



