PLANTING THE FOREST 47 



rapidly growing tree is benefited by the close companion- 

 ship of a slow-growing one. Therefore we may safely as- 

 sume that for trees demanding like soil, climatic conditions, 

 and situations, rapidity of growth must, in the main, be the 

 governing factor in determining whether or not to mingle 

 species, although the demand for moisture broadleaf 

 trees, when in full leaf, requiring more than needle-leaf ones 

 and the protection of the forest floor should not be lost 

 sight of. There is no known law of tree-growth violated in 

 planting either pure or mixed stands if rapidity of growth 

 of the species and their demands for light, moisture, and 

 food be equal. 



The claim that any one species has a greater aversion to 

 members of its own household than to that of others is 

 remotely tenable if at all. It is probably true, however, 

 that as some species require less moisture or less mineral 

 food than others, or draw from the soil different food ele- 

 ments, they may be more acceptable neighbors than those 

 of like species. But of this we know little or nothing, and 

 we may safely assume that it will be well to plant pure 

 stands, or, if mixed, mingle such as grow equally rapidly 

 and vigorously in the same situation. 1 



It is also claimed that a slow-growing tree may be set 

 out in the forest and allowed to grow for a time and then 

 a more rapidly growing one be placed along with it to 

 serve as a "nurse" tree. If we could even approximately 

 determine the time that should elapse between the plant- 

 ings, this plan might work well, if there were anything 

 to be gained, an assumption not well founded, but we 

 do not know accurately enough the difference in rapidity of 



1 A. C. Forbes, in his recently published Development of British Forestry 

 (page 187), says : " At the present time there are three fairly distinct 

 systems in operation in the British Isles even-aged forest, coppice with 

 standards, and the system of selective felling 1 or uneven-aged high forests, 

 which is worked more often to suit the convenience of the owner than in 

 the interests of good forestry. The first system is practically the only sound 

 system to adopt when returns in the shape of high-class timber are ex- 

 pected." This system is now being generally adopted in European forests. 



