THE SELECTION SYSTEM 45 



the largest trees and to reserve and protect the middle- 

 sized and young trees, which will reach merchantable' size 

 in a comparatively short time and will furnish the basis of 

 the future cuts. This is the fundamental principle of the 

 selection system. As far as the selection of the trees to be 

 cut was concerned, the earliest lumbermen practised it as 

 a matter of course. The forester takes the principle and 

 applies it systematically, with the object of reproducing 

 and so perpetuating the forest. By the system, as the 

 forester uses it, the old trees and others which have passed 

 their effective growth are cut, the immature trees are pro- 

 tected and encouraged, and reproduction is secured in the 

 openings made by the cuttings. A given cutting never 

 clears an entire stand, but makes only small openings. 



Theory of the Selection System 



The selection system is applicable to selection stands; 

 that is, those in which trees of different ages are repre- 

 sented. An ideal selection stand is one in which trees 

 of all ages, from the seedling to the mature tree, mingle 

 together in full proportion. Even in the best selection- 

 forests, however, every year in the rotation would not 

 be represented. If the rotation were 100 years, there 

 would never be trees of every age, from 1 year up to 100 

 years, because seed is only produced at intervals. It is 

 an ideal selection forest if all age-classes are proportion- 

 ately represented. Thus if the rotation were 100 years 

 and the age-classes comprise 20 years each, the oldest 

 age-class should occupy in the aggregate about 20 per 



