288 BRITISH FOREST TREES 



it reproduces itself vigorously from the stool, and occasion- 

 ally, according to Burckhardt, develops root-suckers in 

 addition, although Gayer and Ney expressly state the 

 contrary. 1 Felling close to the ground and the heaping up 

 of earth on the stumps stimulate its naturally strong repro- 

 ductive capacity, which on suitable soils and situations is 

 more vigorous and enduring than in almost any other species 

 of timber tree. Even stools of a hundred years in age re- 

 tain sufficient energy to throw out a good crop of shoots. 



Liability to Suffer from External Dangers. Notwith- 

 standing its many good qualities, the cultivation of this 

 southern exotic must always in Britain be a matter of 

 uncertainty, as it is so liable to suffer from frost. The 

 ordinary winter of our climate it is able to withstand, but in 

 hard winters young plants and poles get frozen to death, the 

 frost working down even to the roots. Hence sowings and 

 plantings are only advisable in sheltered localities where 

 some protection is afforded by lightly- foliaged standard 

 trees. It is apt to suffer badly from late frosts in May, in 

 consequence of which it is little adapted for woodlands on 

 the plain, although this danger is to a great extent counter- 

 balanced by the extraordinary reproductive power of the 

 chestnut from the stool. Where exposed to a hot sun, it is 

 also apt to develop the stem-disease caused by scorching or 

 sun-burn, and is therefore unsuited for the warmer south- 

 western aspects exposed to insolation and refraction. Wind- 

 fall is of infrequent occurrence, as might be expected from 

 the strongly ramified and deep root-system. Young growth 

 suffers at times from the grazing of cattle and the browsing 

 of deer ; but, gifted with strong recuperative power, it soon 

 rehabilitates itself. From injuries arising from fungi and 

 insects it has comparative immunity. 



1 Gayer, Der Waldbaii, 1889, p. no; Ney, Lehre vom Waldbau, 

 1885, p. 410. 



