CHAPTER IX 



ARTIFICIAL REGENERATION SUBSTITUTED FOR OR 

 COMBINED WITH NATURAL REGENERATION 



It has already been stated that artificial regeneration 

 may be employed not only to create forest crops in 

 areas which have been hitherto without trees over them, 

 but also to assist the natural regeneration of already 

 existing forests or even to replace it. 



Artificial regeneration has, namely, the following- 

 advantages : 



It allows a greater choice of species to be propagated, 

 while natural regeneration depends on seed from trees 

 in or near the area to be reafforested ; it is usually 

 effected much quicker than natural regeneration ; it 

 provides much better for the exact proportion of different 

 species in a mixed crop, and more easily provides for 

 giving a start to those species which require it ; it can 

 be carried on in the open as well as under shelter wood ; 

 and it is not dependent on good seed years, as, even 

 where seed cannot be stored for more than one season, 

 seedlings can be raised in a nursery. A greater regularity 

 in the progress of regeneration, therefore, is obtained 

 in this manner. 



On the other hand, artificial regeneration is more 

 costly than natural regeneration, and, at any rate as 

 regards planting of slow-growing species, the number 

 of plants per unit of area being smaller, their stems do 

 not grow as straight unless the planting is very close, 

 and therefore expensive. 



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