SYLVIOULTLRAL ADVANTAGES. 543 



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the crops from their own poor lands by those taken from 

 adjoining forest field-crops, as they could not possibly purchase 

 imported grain. The present increased facilities for traffic, the 

 great demands industries make on labour, the small returns of 

 agriculture and many other circumstances have in most districts 

 greatly reduced the desire for forest field-crops, and in a few 

 decades they will probably be abandoned. 



Section III. — Sylvicultural importance of Field-Crops in 

 Forests. 



The question now arises as to what forestry may gain or lose 

 by a combination of field-crops and tree-growth. 



1. Advantaf/es to the Forest. 

 The two chief ways in which a forest gains from field-crops are : 

 the consequent increase in the forest revenue, and the reduced 

 cost of reproduction ; for the ground is thus cultivated and the 

 growth of the young plants stimulated. 



(a) Increased Forest Revenue. — As agriculture usually gives 

 higher pecuniary returns than forests, the cultivation of field 

 crops on felling-areas will generally repay not only the cost of 

 cultivation of the crops and of the forest re-growth, but also 

 yield a surplus. From a pecuniary point of view it would be 

 more profitable to clear all forest areas which are suitable for 

 clover and produce fodder-crops, but the production of wood is 

 the real object of a forest, and attempts to increase the forest 

 revenue must be made within proper limits. The question 

 therefore arises, whether the apparent gain from the field- 

 crops will not disappear when balanced by the consequent loss 

 in productiveness of the soil. 



(b) Stimulation of Forest Growth. — Combination of field-crops 

 with forest growth necessarily supposes a thorough cultivation 

 of the soil, thus utilizing its nutritive power to the utmost. As 

 on good soil only a portion of this nutritive power is required by 

 the field-crop, and a balance remains over for the use of the 

 forest plants, the usually favourable growth of young forest 

 trees under these circumstances is easily explained. It is no 

 wonder that the reproduction of a wood should succeed on such 



