COPPICE WITH STANDARDS. 101 



should consist of species with thin crowns ; in other words, 

 of Hght demanding species. 



Where tlir (>rL'ric<h)(l is faroiircd the sj'stem approaches that 

 of high forest. Here the object is to produce as much timber 

 as possible, and the shade of the standards would l)e so heavy, 

 if evenly distributed, that the underwood could no longer 

 thrive ; hence it is desirable to place the over- and underwood 

 into alternate groups. This will enable the underwood to thrive 

 on the areas allotted to it, while the standards will produce 

 straighter and cleaner boles than under the normal form. 



If tJie under icood is favoured the system approaches that of 

 simple coppice. The standards are here so far apart that 

 they will not, as a rule, produce long timber unless they are 

 brought together into groups here and there. 



//. E.rlcnial Daiuicis. 



These are very small when compared with those peculiar to 

 most other systems. To begin with, the overwood is, at any 

 rate in the normal form, capable of protecting the underwood 

 against frost and drought. Under any circumstances such 

 damage does not occur regularly and does not endanger the 

 existence of the wood. 



Storms do remarkably little damage in such woods. The 

 younger classes of standards are protected by the older classes, 

 and l)y the time they replace the latter, they have developed 

 strong root systems, so that they can hold their own. 



Insects are not more destructive than in the shelter-wood 

 selection system, and less than in all other systems, which is 

 due to the variety of stocking, absence of cleared spaces or 

 loosened soil, and to the greater number of insect-eating birds 

 which are found in such woods. 



Game and mice, however, often do much damage. 



r. Froducfioii of Wood. 



It is somewhat smaller than under the high forest systems, 

 l)ut the difference is probably not very great. On the other 



