APPENDIX III (2). 



AETIFICIAL EEPBODUCTION. 



By " Trowscoed." 



In a previous essay the conditions of soil, light and moisture 

 requisite for natural regeneration have been fully dealt with. 

 Exactly the same conditions govern the success of all artificial 

 sowing and planting and in addition several further factors have 

 to be considered. 



Artificial reproduction naturally falls into three divisions, 

 firstly the filling up of gaps in areas being regenerated naturally, 

 secondly the restocking of a clear felled area and thirdly the 

 creation of a forest by afforestation. 



The question of artificial versus natural regeneration has been 

 the cause of acute controversy for the last 50 years or more. Men 

 of eminence in the profession have taken the most extreme views 

 and schools of forestry have arisen diametrically opposed to one 

 another. The most orthodox French opinion has advocated the 

 advantages of natural regeneration even at the cost of many 

 years' delay, on the other hand the Saxon school declined to have 

 anything to do with natural regeneration preferring to clear fell 

 and plant. 



The mind of the forester will always be influenced to some 

 extent by the school of thought in which he was brought up and, 

 however broad-minded he may be, he will probably have a prefer- 

 ence for that style of silviculture with which he is best acquainted 

 and of which he has become a master. 



In recent years this controversy has continued with respect 

 to the effect of planting in reducing the vitality of an artificially 

 raised crop when handled under a long rotation. Tourney states 



