THE COPPICE SYSTEMS 187 



until the first standards reach the final age designed for 

 them; in this case, 100 years. There will then be on the 

 ground standards 100, 80, 60, and 40 years old, in addi- 

 tion to the 20-year stand composed of sprouts and such 

 seedlings as were established at the last cutting. The 

 oldest standards are then cut, and new seedlings started 

 in their place. 



There is no rule regarding the number of standards. 

 Sometimes in European practise the main stress is laid 

 on the coppice production, and only a few standards are 

 held over at each cutting. In this case the production 

 of sprouts would be but little interfered with. In other 

 cases the main stress is on the overwood. The system 

 then approaches the selection system, combined with the 

 production of a coppice crop. The form and condition 

 of a compound coppice forest may be illustrated by the 

 number of standards of different ages per acre. Drawing 

 from a European stand in which the standards are oak, 

 there might be the following at the time of cutting: 



Number of Standards 



100 years old, 1 

 80 " 2 

 60 " 3 



40 " 12 



20 " 20 



In this table it is seen that the number of standards is 

 progressively smaller with increase of age. Theoreti- 

 cally, it is designed to have all classes of standards occupy 

 equal areas. Enough standards are held over in the be- 



