100 THE PRINCIPLES OF HANDLING WOODLANDS 



that a given species reproduces itself best on a clearing, 

 but this is not by any means always the case. If a clear- 

 ing is necessary, and a new stand of a desirable species 

 cannot be secured upon it by natural reproduction, plant- 

 ing must be resorted to, or the area sacrificed to inferior 

 and undesired species. 



In the past, where the trees are all merchantable, lum- 

 bermen have usually cut clear, without regard to repro- 

 duction. It is a common opinion among them that 

 reproduction will take care of itself, no matter how the 

 stand is cut, provided the land is protected from fire. It 

 is true that some large clearings made by haphazard cut- 

 ting have been reproduced in a marvelous manner, 

 even where fire has followed. These cases are, however, 

 exceptional. Ordinarily, good reproduction will not 

 take place unless there are seed-trees near at hand to pro- 

 vide the seed, and the conditions for germination are 

 favorable. This means that where clearings are made 

 and reproduction from the side is relied upon, there must 

 be a restriction of the area cleared, based upon the distance 

 to which seed may be carried in abundance. The loca- 

 tion of the clearing, its form and size, and the work of 

 preparing the ground for reproduction must necessarily 

 vary enormously under different conditions. 



Influence of Market Conditions. With this system a 

 distinction may be made between its application in virgin 

 forests having a large amount of overmature stock, with 

 unfavorable market and logging conditions, and its appli- 

 cation under such favorable economic conditions as exist 



