I'.UITIMI FOKKST TRKF.S 259 



ciatcd with them, perhaps the best that can be done after 

 that is to await the time when they begin to get somewhat 

 broken in canopy after culmination of the average an- 

 nual growth in height at about thirty to fifty years of age 

 (according to the quality of the soil), and then to thin them 

 out, and underplant with beech. Wherever any intentional 

 formation of pure clumps or holts of maples has taken 

 place, the best treatment that can be accorded is practically 

 the same, aiding Nature when it is evident that she is 

 making efforts to attain freer individual enjoyment of light 

 and air after the greatest activity of growth in height has 

 been accomplished, and providing, by underplanting with 

 some shade-bearing species, not only for the protection of 

 the soil, but also for the better growth of the standard trees. 

 Whether the choice should be given to beech, hornbeam, 

 spruce, or silver fir, is a matter that depends in each case 

 on the local peculiarities of the soil and situation ; but in 

 general no mistake will be made by giving the preference to 

 beech, unless a special market for bean-sticks and poles 

 points to conifers as likely to be more remunerative. But 

 it may be remarked that the areas having the necessary 

 qualities of the soil to make them suitable for pure forests of 

 maple are somewhat limited in our woodlands. 



Where an admixture of maples has to be artificially pro- 

 duced, beech offers advantages beyond other shade-bearing 

 trees as the ruling species, for in respect to requirements re- 

 garding soil and situation, and in development, there is a 

 considerable degree of similarity between them, whilst the 

 former still have the great advantage of being somewhat 

 forward in growth during all the earlier stages of development, 

 when tending would otherwise be most difficult. During 

 the first years the maples are also more rapid in growth 

 than the spruce, and considerably more so than the silver 

 fir, but these both catch them up sooner than the beech, 



s 2 



