THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH-CLASS OAK, ASH AND LARCH. 65 



For the purpose of giving the oak a start, it may be grown 

 pure in the first instance. It will fairly shelter the ground 

 until it begins to thin out, which generally occurs according to 

 local conditions between the age of thirty to sixty years. Up 

 to that age the wood should be kept dense, so that tall, clean 

 stems may be produced. About the age of forty somewhat 

 heavier thinnings should commence, giving to the more 

 promising oaks gradually more growing space. Then a 

 specially heavy thinning is made, and the area under-planted 

 or sown with beech. The young beech are very grateful for 

 the shelter of the oaks during several years. Then more 

 thinnings may take place, leaving the most promising oaks in 

 such numbers that the beech below them has sufficient light 

 to come up. Both crops are then allowed to run through a 

 full rotation, favouring at all future thinnings the develop- 

 ment of the oak. In this way a crop of mature oak and beech 

 is obtained, the age of the former being some fifty years more 

 than that of the beech. This method of growing mixed oak 

 and beech is shown in the illustrations Nos. 5 to 8 of the 

 Appendix. 



The second method of rearing oak with beech is to place 

 the former into groups, surrounded by a sea of beech. 

 For the oak, the most favourable spots should be selected, 

 where the soil is deep, and the aspect favourable, especially 

 south-east or south. These spots should be sown with acorns, 

 or densely planted with young oak plants one year old about 

 8,000 to the acre. As soon as they are well established, the 

 remaining parts of the wood should be stocked with young 

 beech, either naturally or artificially, according to circum- 

 stances. The size of the oak groups varies much. If they are 

 too small, the beech does much damage along the edges ; if 

 too large, the advantages of the admixture of beech are con- 

 siderably reduced. Hence the area of the oak groups should 

 lie between one-quarter and one acre. In the natural course 

 of events the beech will commence to intrude itself into the 

 oak groups as soon as they begin to thin out above, thus 



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