15RITISII FOREST TREES 179 



capable of being grown both in groups or patches, and in 

 rows, or as single individuals, in which latter case tlu-y 

 develop into fine stems. But where a preference is given to 

 the former mode of admixture, it is necessary to underplant 

 the pine between the thirtieth to fortieth year with beech, so 

 that with a fall of a hundred to a hundred and twenty years 

 the mature crop consists of large coniferous steins of that 

 age with a reproductive beech underwood of seventy to 

 eighty years old, and surpasses either class of pure forest 

 in profitable outturn. Where the larch is admixed in groups 

 or patches, these must be underplanted about ten years 

 earlier ; but, in general, planting singly or in wide rows is 

 preferable in regard to this species, as it often attains its full 

 normal development at a much earlier age than pine. 



The introduction of both species is usually most con- 

 veniently carried out by means of sowing or planting during 

 the final clearance of the parent standards of beech from 

 areas that have been naturally reproduced. In general the 

 end is best attained by planting with material not much 

 higher than the surrounding matrix of young beech, as 

 otherwise in the case of the pine the tendency to branch 

 development becomes more prominent than is desirable for 

 the formation of fine clean boles of high marketable value. 



Both of these species do good service as nurses, on inferior 

 soil, especially the pine, or where the young seedling crop of 

 beech is thin and unable to form canopy readily, or apt to be 

 sickly in growth ; in such cases, however, the requirements 

 of sylviculture are provided for by the introduction of the 

 nurses individually here and there, and care must be taken 

 not to plant out so many as may, by forming canopy later 

 on, suppress the beech or interfere very materially with its 

 development. 



Particularly in eastern Germany, mixed forests of beech 

 and hornbeam have an importance which they can never 



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