106 PLANTING 



Ash and Beech is bad, as the Beech will surpass and 

 suppress the Ash. It is, however, an excellent plan to 

 underplant Ash with Beech. As regards the former case, 

 it would be perfectly correct if the Ash were cut out before 

 the Beech caught them up. This might be possible ; but 

 usually the Beech will begin to interfere with the Ash about 

 10 years before the latter are mature. 



Douglas Fir mixed with any common trees, except Sitka 

 Spruce or Thuya gigantea, cannot be recommended. The 

 result will always be similar to growing the Douglas Fir at 

 great distances apart, for no other trees will prune them to 

 any extent. 



Spruce and Corsican or Scots Pine had better be avoided, 

 as the Spruce will usually be left behind for the first 20 

 years. But if it keep pace with these trees, it may be 

 planted ; only, there is not much advantage in having the 

 mixture. Ultimately the Spruce will outgrow the Pines. 



Silver Fir and Spruce or the Pines should be avoided, as 

 the Silver Fir grow so slowly to start with ; and when they 

 ultimately compete with the Spruce or Pines, both the Pines 

 and the Silver Fir will be very coarse and branchy. 



Silver Fir and Douglas Fir is an even worse mixture. 

 In fact, it is impossible to obtain good results by mixing 

 Silver Fir alternately with any other trees, whether conifers 

 or broad-leaved trees. 



Silver Fir should be almost invariably used for under- 

 planting, 1 and thus for forming uneven-aged mixtures. 



Larch and Douglas Fir cannot be recommended. The 

 Larch are often planted to lessen the expense, but they will 

 be outgrown and suppressed by about the twelfth to fifteenth 

 year, and will then all have to be cut out. Furthermore, the 

 Douglas Fir which have been next to them will not be well 

 pruned. 



Larch and Spruce must be avoided. Though excellent 



Larch may be grown, the Spruce will all be inferior. Another 



great reason against the mixture is the fact that the Larch 



aphis and the Spruce aphis are an alternating generation 



1 For further details as to underplanting, vide Chapter VIII. 



