CHAPTER III 



MIXED AND PURE WOODS 



In the last century pure woods were rarely 

 planted, except in the neighbourhood of mines, 

 where some very remunerative pure larch woods 

 were grown. As a rule most woods were planted 

 with a mixture of larch and oak with a few 

 other hardwoods. It was assumed that the oak 

 had the advantage of being more valuable, and 

 larch the advantage of quicker growth and 

 earlier returns, and it was hoped that mixed 

 woods of oak and larch would combine the 

 advantages of early returns and great future 

 value. The theory was the larch would stimu- 

 late the upward growth of the oak, and by their 

 thinnings and final removal provide an early 

 income, and that when the larch were removed 

 there would be left on the ground a crop of 

 valuable oak. 



In some woods the theory was successful : the 

 planter obtained an early income and left for 

 the benefit of his posterity a valuable crop of 



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