SYSTEMS OF CLEAR-CUTTING 103 



Douglas fir already bearing seed. The merchantable old 

 timber is, therefore, cut clear, and the ground burned 

 over to prepare the soil for the reception of the seed. 



If the area were so large that natural reproduction 

 could not be relied upon, it would be necessary to resort 

 to planting. Very often both natural and artificial repro- 

 duction are used. The old stand is cut clear, and a rea- 

 sonable area near the edge of the clearing is left for natu- 

 ral reproduction, while the center that part beyond the 

 zone of good seed distribution is planted. A good 

 example of this method may be found in a Government 

 cutting in Montana. The stand covers a valley bot- 

 tom and the surrounding slopes. The timber on the 

 bottom and the lower slopes is very heavy white pine, 

 spruce, larch, Douglas fir, hemlock, white fir, and 

 other species. On the main slopes there is a more or 

 less irregular stand of the same species. The bottom 

 and lower slopes must be clear-cut; the central and upper 

 slopes may be culled, partly on the selection and partly 

 on the shelterwood plan. For a distance of about 250 

 feet from the seed-trees left on the central slopes, the 

 lower slopes will be left to natural seeding. The bot- 

 toms will be planted. 



Reserving Blocks of Trees. Where extensive areas 

 of very old timber require clear-cutting, and under con- 

 ditions which at present make artificial reproduction im- 

 practicable, a portion of the stand must be left for the 

 distribution of seed. Very frequently it is impracticable 

 to leave single trees, or even groups of trees, for seed, 



