CHAP, vii.] Treatment of Mixed Woods 155 



means of underplanting with the shade-bearing species for 

 which the soil is best suited, is rendered advisable. Where fresh 

 or moist, low-lying tracts with good soil are still under forest 

 growth, mixed woods of Oak with Ash and Elm, or with Alder 

 and Birch, Alder with Ash, Birch, and Aspen,- Pines with 

 Aspen and Alder, and the like, are often to be seen in 

 luxuriant growth and yielding good returns to the proprietors. 

 In Britain, the light-demanding species which is most fre- 

 quently to be found forming the ruling species or matrix is 

 undoubtedly the Scots Pine. But, even in our damp insular 

 climate, the admixture with it of some species capable of bearing 

 shade has a very beneficial effect on the soil, and through that 

 on the quantity of timber obtained at the fall of the crop. For 

 the better classes of Pine soil the Beech or Silver Fir, or on 

 moist localities exposed to frosts, the Hornbeam and Douglas 

 Fir, and for average and inferior localities the Spruce, Black 

 (Austrian and Corsican) and Weymouth Pines are recommend- 

 able as subordinate species ; but as, on the inferior tracts classifi- 

 able as Pine soil, these trees are less tolerant of shade than 

 elsewhere, they must receive a fair amount of consideration 

 during all operations of tending and thinning. The admixture 

 of Larch with Scots Pine on such localities indicates want of 

 knowledge of the natural requirements of the Larch with respect 

 to fertility and depth of soil ; whilst at the same time, owing to 

 the more rapid growth of the Larch, the Pine suffers even from 

 the light shade cast over it by the former. 



Recapitulation. 



As this subject is of great practical importance it may be well 

 to summarize briefly what has been said at length in this and 

 the preceding chapter in exposing the fallacy contained in Sir 

 Herbert Maxwell's statement quoted on page 115. Where only 

 one species of tree has mainly to be taken into account, each 

 block of forest may have the advantage of being easier to work 

 with regard to tending, to the fall of the mature timber, and 



