CHAPTER IX. 



NATURAL REGENERATION OF HIGH FOREST. 



IT has previously been stated that the natural regeneration 

 of high forest may take place under : 



(1) The Selection System; 



(2) The Group System ; 



(3) Compartments of Even- Aged High Forest. 



THE SELECTION SYSTEM. 



This system is chiefly suited to the regeneration of Beech. 

 In order to insure its success, it is essential that the young 

 trees should be able to bear a great amount of shade. Some 

 of the shade-bearing conifers might be regenerated in this 

 manner, especially on exposed south-western aspects, where 

 a maximum amount of shelter is required. The coniferous 

 timber thus produced would very often be of poor quality, as 

 there would be a minimum amount of natural pruning of the 

 trees by each other ; and as the older trees became isolated, 

 the annual girth increment would probably be too rapid to 

 produce timber which is really strong and dense. 



The system is not generally suited to very dry soils, 

 though Beech prove an exception on poor chalky or lime- 

 stone soils. 



Unless the soil is really good, rotations under the selec- 

 tion system should be fairly short. 



Fellings and thinnings should not be made upon the 



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