n6 OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 



acorns and beech-nuts into the ground, besides 

 breaking this up so as to loosen it, aerate it, 

 and prepare it generally as an effective seed-bed. 

 Indeed, in many of the Continental woods, and 

 especially in beechwoods, the herding of cattle 

 and the pannage of swine form some of the usual 

 steps taken at the time of a seed-felling for the 

 regeneration of the mature crop of trees. It is 

 cheap, and to a certain extent effective ; and it 

 forms a good basis for the assistance of natural 

 regeneration by more elaborate artificial mea- 

 sures in the way of hoeing or digging, sowing, 

 and planting. 



A certain amount of soil-preparation to form 

 a seed-bed for the acorns will almost always be 

 necessary. Unless thus enabled to come into actual 

 contact with the soil, perhaps not one-hundredth 

 part of the acorns ever have the very slightest 

 chance of germinating on the dead foliage or 

 weeds which cover the surface of the ground. 

 The necessary soil-preparation can conveniently 

 be made in strips or patches, and of course 

 additional advantage is gained if the acorns are 

 dibbled into these. Otherwise, dibbling of acorns 

 may take place over the whole area without 



