HIGHWOODS, COPSES, ETC. 257 



this in the most thorough manner possible, 

 and the system of cropping selected, whether 

 highwood, copse, or coppice. If the crops are 

 too thin, whether this be caused either by wide 

 planting or by premature thinnings, as is only 

 too often the case throughout Britain, then the 

 productiveness of the soil is not utilised to its 

 full extent, which means that the income de- 

 rived is not so large as it might be, while there 

 must also exist the danger that the soil is 

 not being so well protected against the deterio- 

 rating effects of sun and wind as would other- 

 wise be the case with crops forming closer cover. 

 And these two factors mutually act and re-act 

 on each other. On the other hand, if the 

 crops stand too thick, that is to say, if ade- 

 quate thinning be neglected, then the crops are 

 exposed to the danger of becoming weakly in 

 growth and very injuriously affected as to their 

 ultimate value when mature and ready for the fall. 

 In this latter case, the greater density of the crop 

 adds nothing appreciable to the capital value of 

 the land ; on the contrary, it rather depreciates it if 

 judged by the practical standard of its productive- 

 ness in growing woodland crops for the market. 



