246 NATIHAI. RErrENEKATloX OF WOODS. 



for llie refTenenition of \)nw than of luixoil woods. As a matter 

 of fact, the system is followed over the greater i>art of the 

 State forests of Germany and France, where natural regenera- 

 tion is adopted, though there is evidence that it will, in many 

 cases, he superseded l)y the group system. 



The S3'stem partakes of the character of the compartment 

 system carried out on small compartments ; the danger of 

 failure over a large continuous area is avoided, and the 

 shelter-wood is less liahle to be blown down, but tlje 

 operations are less concentrated. 



'■. 7'/ir (//■('>'/) Sijslrtn. 



(1.) Tlie drawbacks are, that the operations are scattered 

 over a largei- area at one and the same time, rendering super- 

 vision more difficult and the transport of the material more 

 expensive. 



(2.) The principal advantages of this system over the 

 compartment system are : — 



(a.) It insures a more complete preservation of the factoi-s 



of the soil ; 

 (//.) It affords greater security, especially in the case of 

 shade bearing tender species, as regards the success 

 of the regeneration, because it is carried out on 

 small scattered areas at one time, so that failure 

 in one does not imply failure in the others ; 

 {<■.) Each group can be taken in hand when the most 



favourable moment for regeneration has arrived ; 



[(I.) The removal of the shelter-wood causes less damage 



to the young crop, as the material can be transported 



through the parts of the wood not yet regenerated. 



(8.) In summing up, it ma_y be said that the group system 



is in its place where the conditions of the locality or of the 



crop cliange from place to place, or where extremes of climate 



l)revail. It is admirably' adapted for the regeneration of mixed 



