:Ui NOTKS ON IWill'lSH FOREST THKES. 



If grown in crowded woods, l)eecli rarely reaches an age of 

 more than 200 years ; in the open, it attains a much greater 

 age. 



I'. Hi'piOihii liri' I'liirrr. 



I3eech commences producing full crops of good seed at the 

 age of ahout 60 years; it yields heavy crops, but full masts 

 cannot be counted on at shorter intervals than 5 years, and 

 often 10 to 15 j^ears, according to local circumstances ; partial 

 masts occur during the intervals. Taking both factors 

 together, the reproduction of beech by seed is less favourable 

 than that of most other indigenous species. 



Reproduction from the stool is feeble, as compared with 

 other broad leaved species ; it ceases after the age of 40 j^ears, 

 and the stools rarely last for more than three or four rotations ; 

 it is best on marls. 



/. ('Iidrdclcr itiiil CoiiijXisiliiin af Wnods. 



Beech is eniinenll}' adapted for growing in })ure woods, 

 since it shades the soil thoroughly up to an advanced age, 

 maintains and even improves its fertility, and bears much 

 sliadi . For the same reasons it is e(iually well adapted to 

 t'urui the principal constituent of mixed woods. Probably no 

 other species equals it in this respect. Trees like oak, ash, 

 maple, elm, silver lir, Scotch pine, larch, and also spruce 

 thrive best when mixed with beech ; in fact this is the case 

 with almost any species which thrive; on localities suitable 

 for beech. 



//. Siilriiiilhiidl Si/slcinf<. 



]3eecli is specially ada[)ted for high forest. It is less well 

 suited for coppice woods, owing to its feeble reproductive 

 power from the stool. It iip[)oars as underwood in coppice 

 with standards. In high forest the rotation should range 

 between HO and 120 years, in coppice between 20 and 

 35 years. 



In high forest it is grown in even aged and uneven 

 aged woods ; lar-'e areas are treated as selection woods 



