SHELTERWOOD FOR SCOTCH PINE 79 



as uniformly as possible over the area. The soil is cleared of brush, cones, 

 and needles, either in strips or in spots, and there is artificial sowing where 

 young seed trees are available. According to Parde : 



"If necessary the regeneration will be completed by plantations at the time of the 

 first improvement felling when the seed trees will be cut. For my part, I confess that 

 I am now rather disposed to admit that, so far as the Scotch pine high forests around 

 Paris are concerned, the regeneration by artificial means would be preferable to the 

 shelterwood method actually followed." 



Various steps have been taken to assist regeneration, such as raking 

 strips and spots during the seed years; in addition the young seedlings 

 are sheltered by means of branches, which is apparently very favorable 

 to their development. If the natural seeding fails the plantations must 

 be made promptly before waiting for the first improvement cutting. 

 Assisting regeneration in this locality has cost as much as $8.70 per acre, 

 while restocking blanks costs about $12.19 (1905 labor prices). Not- 

 withstanding the expense of $8.70 for soil preparation, the regeneration 

 is in poor shape, due to local droughts. Even with a large number of 

 seed trees retained, the cost in windfalls has been heavy. 



In the forest of Fontainebleau there are some 822 acres of Scotch pine. 

 The regular rotation is 72 years and the same methods have been applied 

 as in the forest of Ermenonville. Probably one-tenth of the surface has 

 been naturally seeded, chiefly from advance growth rather than from the 

 results of seed fellings. In the forest of Rambouillet, on 4,942 acres of 

 Scotch pine, but 680 acres have been regenerated successfully. According 

 to Parde: 



"In practice the preparation of the soil has consisted in a light harrowing which 

 removes the very thick mat which covers the soil; this mat is piled up at the foot of the 

 reserved trees. The harrowing is followed with broadcast seeding, 6.2 pounds per acre, 

 when, in order to work the seed into the soil, it is again harrowed lightly and covered 

 with branches." 



Even after soil preparation regeneration has not been successful, and 

 it will be necessary to sow or plant artificially. Probably it will be nec- 

 essary to abandon the seed trees and to cut clean and sow broadcast by 

 the method described above. The conclusion reached, as a result of the 

 attempt of natural regeneration of Scotch pine around Paris, is that 

 the present shelterwood system will probably be abandoned, at least 

 until further experiments determine upon a successful method. Appar- 

 ently it is unnecessary to leave seed trees scattered over the area under 

 regeneration, since these trees are damaged by windfall and their extrac- 

 tion damages seedlings, increases the area under fellings, and makes the 

 protection against game more difficult. Experiments are recommended with 

 the two following systems : 



