166 CLEARANCES AND UNDERPLANTING 



but the trees will be tall and the boles clean, instead of 

 the short, stumpy trees that are so often seen growing as 

 standards over coppice as usually practised. 



When fellings are made for natural regenerations, the 

 same enhanced increment usually takes place. There is, how- 

 ever, this distinction in the method under consideration 

 namely, that whereas natural regeneration fellings are 

 effected at the end of the rotation, and entirely in the 

 interests of the succeeding crop, the fellings or partial clear- 

 ances above described are made entirely with a view to 

 increase the value and girth of the trees left standing ; they 

 are made successively from the time when the principal 

 height growth has ceased, so that from this period onwards 

 the canopy is kept broken. 



The method may be practised with any trees, provided 

 they are storm proof and still growing vigorously, so that 

 they respond to the treatment 



The method has its disadvantages. 



For the canopy is seriously broken, and consequently the 

 risk of soil deterioration, viz., the disappearance of humus, the 

 lack of moisture, the growth of rank grass and weeds, etc., is 

 very great. 



For this reason underplanting or undersowing must 

 almost invariably be resorted to in the case of thinly 

 foliaged trees, unless they are mixed with thickly foliaged 

 trees. 



With the thickly foliaged shade-enduring trees, the fellings 

 should not be so severe as to cause the growth of weeds and 

 grass, and thus induce the necessity for underplanting. For 

 it would never be satisfactory, and should be avoided, however 

 good the soil. When shade-enduring trees are partially 

 cleared, there will often be a certain amount of natural 

 regeneration, but it will be very uneven and usually worthless 

 except for soil protection purposes. 



Whenever pure crops of Larch, Oak, or Ash are found, 

 they should always, if not too old, and if the soil is good 

 enough for those crops grown pure, be partially cleared and 

 underplanted or undersown ; for even if they are not partially 



