H'Z CHARACTER AND CO^ri'OSITION <)l" W()()1>S. 



thrives best on loose, warm, deep soils with a f^ood measure 

 of water in the subsoil ; spruce recjuires moisture near tlie 

 surface, and it is satisfied with a moderately deep soil. Oak 

 requires much light, heat and space : the demands of spruce 

 are more moderate in these respects. Oak is inclined to 

 develop large branches; spruce grows nioic in lieiglit. Never- 

 theless, artificial mixtures of the two species are advocated by 

 some foresters. Oak grows faster than spruce during youth ; 

 later on spruce passes the oak, and the latter has no chance 

 if mixed by single trees in even aged woods. It is necessary 

 to place the oak in ^loups, and even then it does not always 

 develop satisfactorily. The best arrangement is to plant oak 

 pure and to bring in the spruce when the oak begins to thin 

 out. It has, however, been noticed that the oak becomes stag 

 headed when underplanted with spruce, a phenomenon which 

 is l)y some foresters believed to be due to the great consump- 

 tion of water by the spruce ; hence the mixture is only 

 admissible under favourable conditions, oi- when the spruce 

 is cut out at a comparatively early age, before it has liad time 

 to injure the oak. 



(}<(k and s'lInT I'lr. — This is a better mixture than that of 

 oak and spruce, as the two species resemble each other more 

 in tlieir demands on the locality. Oak requires a start, or it 

 will 1)6 passed at about middle age and suppressed by silver 

 fir. The best plan is to plant oak pure, and to bring in silver 

 fir when the former begins to thin out. 



Oak and Jx'ccli. — This is a most suitiiblc niixtui'e, as the two 

 species stand sufliciently near each other in re8i)ect of locality 

 and shape ; moreover, they are found natui-aiiy together. The 

 beech has l)een called the oak's nurse. The oak finds in the 

 mixture all the advantages of a permanent complete shading 

 of the ground, accompanied by a heavy fall of leaves, a thick 

 layer of humus, and freslnujss of the soil; it tliiis iUtains great 

 height and a clear bole of considerable length. 



Tlu! oak requires to have its head free throughout life. It 

 trrows more (luicklv than beech if the climate a)id soil suit 



