52 A MAXUAL OF FORESTRY 



under present conditions, there are certain exigencies which make 

 clear cutting, especially of even-aged forests, more profitable as 

 well as preferable from a silvicultural standpoint. For example, 

 in the pure spruce forests of the steep slopes of the White Moun- 

 tains there is such great danger of windfall if scattered trees are 

 left that some form of clear cutting is a necessity. This is also 

 the case where logging as so difficult and expensive that only 

 infrequent operations can be profitable; and. where trees are so 

 lanje that later removal would injure valuable reproduction. In 

 many culled forests so little of value is left that it is practically 

 necessary to cut clean the inferior growth and replant. Of course 

 there are certain disadvantages in the use of these methods, 

 among the most important being the exposure of the soil, especi- 

 ally on steep slopes, to erosion. Berry bushes and other weeds 

 are apt to spring up on such areas and seriously interfere with 

 reproduction. Young trees are more apt to be injured by sun, 

 wind, frost, and insects than when started under shade. Good 

 forestry principles demand that the areas cut clean shall not be 

 very large. 



Young growth may be secured after clear cutting either by 

 natural seedling or artificially by sowing or planting. The 

 detailed methods of accomplishing artificial reproduction will be 

 discussed later under the chapter on Planting, so only its theory 

 need be considered here. It will be readily seen that natural 

 reproduction is a rather slow process, while restocking by plant- 

 ing can be accomplished at once, and is more certain to be 

 successful. Then, again, the varieties obtainable by natural 

 means are limited to those already present; but in planting, the 

 species best adapted to the soil or most remunerative may be 

 substituted. On the other hand, natural reproduction is ap- 

 parently, though not always actually, cheaper. Natural re- 

 production follows nature's methods closely and for that reason 

 will be the method largely used for the present in this coun- 

 try, and, in fact, has preference in certain kinds of forests in 

 Europe. 



