600 FOREST LITTER. 



forests is partly clue to former defects in forest manapfomeiit, 

 when the standing crop was kept too open, and extensive areas 

 thinned for natural regeneration by seed had failed ; also to 

 the present system of clear-cutting, which, owing to the complete 

 admission of light, has rendered the ground favourable for 

 heather. Heather is, therefore, chiefly prevalent on sandstone 

 formations, in regeneration-areas, blanks and in open wood- 

 lands ; it is difficult to imagine a forest on sandy soil open to 

 the removal of litter, without a rich crop of heather. Wherever 

 for many decades heather has formed the sole vegetation, heather- 

 soil accumulates to such a degree on the ground as almost to 

 exclude all other plants and prevent the growth of most species 

 of trees. 



The broom (Ci/tisns scojyarius) is produced by nearly every 

 kind of soil ; it is chiefly prevalent above sandstone and granite, 

 but also grows on argillaceous schist, quartzite, limestone, and 

 even on chalk. It always implies a fairly rich admixture of 

 clay, and denotes a fairly rich soil. It resembles heather in 

 requiring a complete exposure to light and a moderately warm 

 atmosphere. 



Broom is most abundant on blanks, in coniferous regenera- 

 tion-areas, or in young oak-coppice. Owing to its somewhat 

 exacting nature, broom is, in general, of subordinate importance 

 as litter. [Largely used in the Ardennes. — Tr.] 



Among ferns,* the widely-spread bracken {I'tcrifi (iqiiHind) is 

 most important, Xej^hrodium Filix-mas and Athijriiim Filix- 

 f(£inina are also used as litter. They require a moist, or even 

 wet soil, but cannot stand stagnant moisture. Half-shaded 

 localities, or exposed pbu-es, with moderate lateral light, suit 

 them best. 



They grow best in moist, no longer competely closed old wood- 

 lauds, especially in spruce and silver-flr forests, with plenty of moss 



* [III tlie New Forest, the bracken is cut from the 2.')tli September by Goverii- 

 nicnt Aneiif)', and solil dried to I'iirmers, who remove it from the forest, at 8.s. a 

 wofjpou-load, the cost of cutting and drying being bs. In the enclosures it is 

 much more jiatchy and costs 7a. a load to cut and dry, but is then cut and sold 

 between the 1st August and Ifitli Sei)tcmber at 15s. a load, reople who are very 

 keen about bracken being well-dried pay the extra price. From 1,800 to 2,000 

 waggon-loads are thus removed annually. In Windsor Forest, it is sohl at 2a. a cart- 

 load (one horse), the purcha.ser cutting it. In the Dean Forest, there is a j)Oor crop 

 of bracken, it being cut too early, which weakens the rhizomes considerably.— Tit.] 



