1 42 OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 



ling beech are rather apt to suffer from ; for the 

 beech requires a certain amount of shade and 

 protection during its early growth. 



Under this system the total area under beech 

 is divided into four main blocks, in which the 

 crops vary from 0-30, 30-60, 60-90, and 90-120 

 years, and average 15, 45, 75, and 105 years re- 

 spectively, counting from the middle of the 

 period of regeneration. The natural regenera- 

 tion is effected by means of three classes of fell- 

 ings. First comes a * preparatory felling/ when 

 any other kinds of trees, such as ash, sycamore, 

 or maple, growing in admixture with the beech, 

 are removed. The extra light thus given to 

 the beech promotes the formation of seed, and 

 gradually hardens the smooth stems against sun- 

 burn, while the opening up of the leaf canopy 

 also favours the decomposition of the dead leaves 

 and the formation of good mould within the 

 next four or five years. On limy soils prepara- 

 tory fellings of this sort are sometimes un- 

 necessary, as the cast foliage rots sooner than on 

 loams and sands, and there is more danger of 

 the ground being overrun with weeds. In this 

 felling only the smaller dominated stems are 



