174 BRITISH FOREST TREES 



should be selected, as otherwise experience has shown that 

 the measure is apt to fail in effecting the object intended. 



From what has been said above, it is evident that under 

 most circumstances some growth in advance should be 

 secured to the oak, and this is better obtainable by the use 

 of strong transplants than in any other manner. The case 

 in which oak forests are first of all formed nearly pure, and 

 then underplanted, belongs properly to the later considera- 

 tion of the oak (vide pages 190, 194, 200, and 202). 



The regeneration of such mixed forests can take place 

 naturally by reproducing the oak first, but it will usually be 

 found most advantageous to adopt planting. 



Ash, elm, maple, and sycamore are usually associated with 

 the beech on uplands and hill-sides having fresh soils with 

 a fair degree of mineral strength, and here these species are 

 frequently to be met with self-sown on places most con- 

 genial to their natural habits of growth. This is more 

 usually the case on all varieties of soil other than sand, 

 where, however, oak finds for the most part the situations 

 best suited to its growth. Where their presence along 

 with the beech on strong mineral soil is wanting, owing 

 to an absence of parent seed-trees, the mere strewing of 

 seed is sufficient to effect a suitable degree of admixture, 

 unless planting of individual stems here and there is 

 preferred. The elm is less commonly to be found, which 

 may be explained by its poor seed-production in Britain, 

 though when once it has established itself it can generally 

 effect reproduction by means of stoles or root-suckers ; but 

 the planting out of good transplants three to four feet 

 high is perhaps the best method of introducing the elm into 

 seedling growth of beech, as larger transplants often fail to 

 establish themselves well, whilst seedlings and smaller 

 transplants are apt to fall victims to rank growth of grass. The 

 admixture of ash, maple and sycamore is best also provided 



