METHODS OF FELLING. 235 



to the standiug-crop, as for iustauce by extracting stumps of 

 large reserved trees among poles or saplings, or of mother-trees 

 among thoroughly stocked natural regeneration : it is advan- 

 tageous, — wherever there are blanks and gaps in natural regene- 

 ration, even in coppices, provided the loosening of the soil 

 which accompanies the extraction of the stumps causes no 

 local damage by floods, or on steep slopes by landslips or 

 avalanches ; wherever there is no fear of exhausting the pro- 

 ductiveness of the soil, and wherever it is wished to prevent 

 damage, by delinquents extracting the stumps, or by insects or 

 mice. 



The question now arises whether it is better to extract the 

 stumps or to fell the trees by their roots. There has been much 

 discussion regarding this, but there can be no doubt that up- 

 rooting trees is preferable. By this method, much wood which 

 would otherwise be wasted, or become merely firewood, is kept 

 on the stem and the roots are not only extracted more easily, but 

 also more thoroughly. Stems uprooted also fall more lightly on 

 the ground than felled trees ; so that there is less breakage and 

 damage done to young growth, and the roots attached to the stem 

 are more easily converted into smaller material than in the case 

 of a stump. 



As regards the gain in timber, it is evident that a considerable 

 and often highly valuable addition is thus made to the largest 

 log in the tree. This may amount to 8 to 10 per cent, of the 

 timber in the stem. All windfalls are in this condition, and 

 generally fetch good prices. 



It can also easily be shown that uprooting trees is a less 

 laborious way of utilizing root wood than the method of extract- 

 ing the stumps, for it is clear that in both methods the earth must 

 be dug away from the roots, whilst the only advantage of the 

 machines is to save a certain percentage of the manual labour, 

 which must be employed in extracting the stump. "When, 

 therefore, nature off"ers a lever in the tall stem of the tree firmly 

 fixed to the stump to be extracted, its efi'ect can be replaced by 

 no combination of macliiues, so that it is mere folly to expect 

 better results from the latter. The stem itself tears from the 

 ground a number of small roots which could have been dug up 

 only at a cost quite disproportionate to their value. It is also 



