108 THE SELECTION METHOD 



as the proper method and is already being applied on a small 

 scale. 



Besides its general employment on protection sites, which 

 will come in time, the selection method should be favored by 

 farmers holding small areas of woodland and by owners with 

 whom the aesthetic motive is prominent. This latter class is 

 increasing, and already holds large areas in the aggregate. 



There may also be occasional examples where the influence 

 of economic conditions and the silvical habits of the species 

 point to the adoption of the selection method for the produc- 

 tion of timber on a large scale. An instance of this character 

 is furnished by lodgepole pine in the Rocky Mountains. 



Lodgepole grows on sites which are often spoken of as 

 protection sites, but yet are sites which from their location 

 topographically are not in most instances the real protection 

 sites of the locality. These are found in timbered areas 

 located above the lodgepole type. Stated in another way, a 

 great share of the lodgepole pine type may be used primarily 

 to grow timber without interfering with its protective value. 

 This situation would permit theoretically the use of shelter- 

 wood or clearcutting rather than selection. The United 

 States Forest Service after trying various forms of clearcut- 

 ting and the seed tree methods have swung around to selection 

 as best meeting the market requirements of the region and 

 fitting in with the silvical habits of lodgepole pine. 5 Certain 

 forms of stand demand immediate reproduction under other 

 methods, but the indications are that for lodgepole pine 

 selection will be on the whole the best method of reproduc- 

 tion and the unevenaged forest the most desirable form. 



