102 NATURAL REGENERATION 



"5. Reserve all oak or ash wherever found, but take pains to free all seedlings and 

 saplings. 



"These general principles being stated, the management of a conversion in open 

 high forest requires: (1) Forest descriptions by divisions on the ground destined to form 

 separate units; (2) the results of the stock-taking made in each of these divisions; (3) 

 the regulation of felling during the first period of 15 years with an indication of the yield 

 and the approximate amount of annual planting; (4) a critical analysis of the products to 

 be realized before and after the conversion." 



In the forest of Montargis conversion, according to the working plan, 

 the following cultural rules are given: 



" Except on several areas which are quite open, natural regeneration of the old poles 

 can readily be obtained, but we do not pretend that the regeneration mixed in the old 

 pole stands will thrive.' The sprouts are usually not to be feared as a general rule be- 

 cause of their overmaturity and because of decaying stumps, but, on the other hand, 

 there will be an insufficiency of seed coupled with a rapid deterioration of the soil and 

 encroachment by the heather. Moreover, it is felt that it will often be advisable not to 

 wait too long for a complete natural reproduction but, that it will be better to secure a 

 second crop by artificial restocking. We are convinced that for these stands only resin- 

 ous species are suitable." 



In this forest the coppice is held over to a rotation of 70 to 80 years 

 in order to secure complete cover, good seed bearers, soil protection, 

 and to protect the young seedlings from the frost as well as to weaken 

 the sprouts. It will also be necessary to free the seedlings during the 

 first 20 years. In order to encourage seedlings to come in the ground 

 is worked, but only where there is a probability of an acorn crop. Soil 

 wounding here costs from $1.15 to $1.50 per acre. The hornbeam and 

 beech will be cut first because they form too vigorous stands, but in 

 one place where the beech had come in after the seed felling (because 

 little light was admitted) it will* not be sacrificed; instead it will be 

 retained. In another working group, where the coppice had been ruined, 

 the ground was planted to Scotch pine which was first thinned after 15 

 years and afterwards every 10 years. An interesting plantation of 

 Scotch pine had been made on the south side of a compartment along a 

 road in order to protect the interior stand against the sun. In some 

 worn-out blanks single Scotch pine had been planted in November and 

 December, separated by at least two meters from the neighboring 

 sprouts. In this conversion the chief factors were: lengthening the cop- 

 pice rotation, securing all possible seedlings and root suckers for the reserve, 

 filling up blanks with conifers, repeated cleanings to favor the reserve so 

 that the coppice would be gradually shaded out and the forest trans- 

 formed to a high forest. 



In the forest of Huit a coppice-under-standards forest is being con- 

 verted into a conifer high forest. Spruce has been planted in rather a 

 poor, open coppice-under-standards. At the age of from 10 to 15 years 



