218 BRITISH FOREST TREES 



reproductive power from the stool, and it generally happens 

 that on fairly good soils, where it is not wanted, it becomes 

 a noxious weed, whilst it reproduces itself sparsely where 

 one might be glad to have it. Deep felling, close to the 

 ground, increases its power of reproduction, as also an 

 early fall before the flush of leaves comes, for otherwise 

 there is apt to be considerable bleeding and loss of sap, 

 from the stool. 



With a tree so easily satisfied as to soil, of such spon- 

 taneous growth, and so easily transplanted, there are many 

 ways of utilizing the birch without encouraging its growth 

 at the expense of nobler and more remunerative species. 

 In high forests of beech, birch along with other softwoods 

 often finds a suitable home till they are all removed earlier 

 or later in the periodical thinnings. Sometimes it may have 

 for sylvicultural reasons to be cut out about the thirtieth or 

 fortieth year, if not earlier ; but at others it can perfectly well 

 remain till the seventieth or eightieth year, by which time it 

 should yield a valuable assortment of timber for cabinet- 

 making and similar technical purposes. As nurses to 

 stimulate the growth in height of oak and pine, it has, how- 

 ever, usually to be cleared away as soon as its services are 

 completed, particularly in the former instance. In pine 

 woods it is the best tree for planting along roads, or along 

 the fringe of the woods to mark the compartments; and 

 several rows of birch, with the ground below them carefully 

 cleared of inflammable material, are the most generally 

 adopted, but unfortunately not always successful method of 

 protection against fire in northern Germany, wherever a 

 railway line runs through pine forests. 



Birch as a Subordinate in Mixed Forests of other Species. 

 Of the species forming pure forests, and naturally capable of 

 being the ruling species in mixed forests, Scots pine has 

 certainly more in common with the birch than any other 



