132 BRITISH FOREST TREES 



stances reach the soil in sufficient quantities to satisfy the 

 young crop, whilst, should any accidents befal the seed 

 or the young seedlings, the canopy above is sufficient to 

 protect the soil against rank growth of weeds on moist soil, 

 or deterioration on dry, until another good seed-year comes 

 round. As a matter of course the first trees to be removed 

 are those of subordinate species, and also such as are not 

 likely to profit much from further retention. 



Wherever the soil seems to have good receptive capacity 

 for the seed, which is particularly the case when the soil- 

 covering consists of a thin layer of Hypnum moss, an 

 average interruption of the canopy may be made without 

 any hesitation, and where such thin layer of moss, or a slight 

 covering of dead leaves, or perhaps a very light growth 

 of grass is found on the soil, no preparation is usually 

 necessary to stimulate it for the reception of the seed. In 

 places where there is tendency to a strong growth of grass 

 on moist soil, it usually happens that the previous measure of 

 light accorded has already, without any seed-felling, resulted 

 in a self-sown growth of young silver fir, before the light 

 became strong enough to favour the ranker development of 

 the weeds. But, as might be expected, the more difficult 

 problems of natural reproduction of this species have to be 

 faced wiiere the soil is deficient in moisture, or where there 

 is a strong tendency towards rank growth of grass. Where 

 the layer of moss is thick, or the covering of whortleberry 

 or heather at all considerable, some measure of soil-prepara- 

 tion is seldom avoidable. In the former case the removal of 

 the moss with wooden rakes in strips of twelve to sixteen 

 inches will be sufficient, but in the latter some work with the 

 hoe may be necessary, the strips being usually made about 

 eighteen to twenty-four inches broad, and in either case of 

 course prepared before the fall of the seed during autumn. 

 Under ordinary circumstances the seed requires no artificial 



