36 METHODS OF TREATMENT [CH. 



less coppice production per unit of area will be obtainable ; so that 

 the two things have to be weighed, the one against the other. 



Now if the main object of the reservation of the standards be 

 to protect the underwood from exposure and to supply seed, and 

 the underwood is to be looked upon as the more important of 

 the two kinds of crop, then the number of standards should be 

 fixed so as just to effect these cultural objects, and should be 

 kept at a minimum. The number should be no greater than what 

 would ordinarily be sufficient for these purposes. But if on the 

 other hand the object of maintaining an overwood is to produce 

 timber, then in this case the value and importance of the 

 standards will far outweigh that of the underwood, and the 

 interest of the owner will demand the largest number of standards 

 possible, without impairing the vigour of the coppice, which 

 will still be the main agent of the perpetuation of the forest. 

 These principles will be sufficient to enable us to decide on the 

 best number of standards to keep. The upper limit, that is, the 

 maximum possible number of standards, is fixed by the fact that 

 if the overwood forms close canopy, the underwood will languish 

 and tend to disappear. The rule therefore is that the standards 

 must never be so numerous that each tree is not in a state of 

 complete isolation, even at the end of the rotation, just before 

 the felling is made. As soon as the crowns of the standards begin 

 to touch one another, the coppice is in danger. 



It will not be necessary each time to make a calculation as 

 to the superficial cover of each size of reserved tree. As a general 

 rule the standards will stand over one quarter, or as a maximum, 

 one third of the area, and local experience will generally be 

 available to assist one in deciding on the right number of stan- 

 dards per acre. The light-requirements of the species concerned, 

 and in particular the amount of shade thrown by the species 

 forming the overwood will of course affect the question. Then 

 there is the further matter of the number of rotations during 

 which a certain proportion ( and what proportion ?) of the reserves 

 are to be kept standing. It is not often that a standard can be 

 profitably kept for more than four or five coppice rotations. 

 Here again the size and age of the kind of timber required under 

 the object of management must be referred to, and at the same 



