IMPROVED BRITISH FORESTRY 315 



timber. And then, too, many of these fine trees, 

 spreading their huge limbs far around them, have 

 often, from one reason or another, been allowed 

 to remain standing long after they have attained 

 their maturity. This is especially the case 

 with many of the beautiful old oak trees in 

 copses which have often been rendered almost 

 useless by old age and over-maturity, but which 

 as objects of picturesque beauty possess a value 

 that can well outweigh any financial considera- 

 tions with a wealthy landowner when such 

 woods are in the immediate vicinity of his man- 

 sion. Even when trees are grown for profit, 

 however, the mistake has sometimes been made 

 of allowing the crop to stand after it has attained 

 its full maturity, and when its further retention 

 has really meant not only loss of interest on the 

 capital in timber, but also actual loss, to a greater 

 or less extent, of capital in the capacity of the 

 soil for the production of wood. While old 

 trees and fully-matured crops of this sort are 

 allowed to remain growing, instead of being 

 cleared and utilised, they are both unprofitable 

 in themselves, and they also prevent a younger 

 and more vigorous crop of wood being grown 



