SHADE BEARING WITH LIGHT DEMANDING SPECIES. 79 



somewhat more quickly at first, but on the whole it is left 

 behind by beech. In some localities, especially those ex- 

 posed to frost, hornbeam forms a suitable substitute for 

 beech in mixed woods. 



(5.) Douf/his fir may be mixed with beech, silver fir or 

 spruce ; it grows faster than either of these. 



b. Mixtures in Coppice Woods. 



In coppice woods it is always desirable to mix some horn- 

 beam with the beech, because the latter by itself is rarely able 

 to maintain a full crop, owing to its inferior reproductive 

 power from the stool ; hornbeam is possessed of an almost 

 indestructible reproductive power by stool shoots. Care is 

 required to prevent the hornbeam from ousting the beech. 



In coppice with standards also, the underwood should 

 consist, at any rate partly, of hornbeam, and not altogether 

 of beech. 



5. Mixtu)-es of Shade hcarinfj icith Liglit dcmandinfj Species. 



While the shade bearing species much resemble each other 

 in character, considerable differences exist between light 

 demanding and shade bearing species in respect of shape, 

 height growth, light requirement and duration of life ; hence 

 the maintenance of such mixtures requires great care and 

 skill. 



Most of the light demanding species, such as oak, larch, 

 ash, as w^ell as the moderate shade bearing Norway maple 

 and sycamore, are raised principally for timber and less for 

 firewood; they require full enjoyment of light throughout life, 

 but they cannot reach timber size and maintain the factors 

 of the locality without the assistance of the shade bearing 

 species ; it is no longer sufficient to place each species in 

 groups, and in order to meet the requirements of the case it 

 is generally necessary to grow uneven aged woods. 



The principal object in all such mixtures is the full develop- 

 ment of the timber yielding, light demanding species, while 



