THE COMPARTMENT SYSTEM. ^29 



be selected from the beginning ; they should be trees with 

 neither exceptionally broadnor narrow crowns, but healthy 

 trees with medium crowns, and these must be led over gradu- 

 all}' from a crowded to a more open state. It follows that, 

 from this ix)int of view, the preparatory cuttings are of more 

 importance in the case of shallow-rooted species and very 

 dense woods, than under opjjosite conditions. 



iii. Sti.mli.ai iN(i thii I'roductiox uv Sked. 

 In some cases placing the trees in a more open position has 

 a beneficial effect upon the production of seed, but this cannot 

 be always relied on, as frequently such a measure is followed 

 by increased production of wood instead of seed. 



iv. DlsTRIBUTIO.V OF THE YlELl). 



If forest trees were in the habit of producing seed regularly 

 every year, arrangements might be made to place annually 

 a suitable area into the seeding stage, and thus distribute the 

 cuttings equally over successive years. As, however, most 

 forest trees produce abundant seed only after irregular inter- 

 vals, it is necessary to take full advantage of every such 

 opportunity and then to bring as large an area as possible 

 into the seeding stage. If no preparatory cuttings had been 

 made, such a treatment would lead to an excessive yield in 

 every seed year, and little or no yield in other years. Hence 

 preparatory cuttings fulfil the further duty of assisting in the 

 proper distribution of the yield. 



V. NUMBEIl .\.ND C'HAU.VlTEK OF CuTTINGS. 



Whether the preparatory stage should comprise one or 

 several cuttings cannot be determined beforehand; it depends 

 on the circumstances of each case. Sometimes such cuttings 

 are altogether unnecessary or undesirable, in others one good 

 cutting suffices, and in others again two or even more are 

 required. 



The period over which the preparatory stage extends com- 

 prises sometimes only one or a few years, at other times as 



