IMPROVEMENT OF THE FOREST 211 



The objective point in this method is to assist the 

 growth and development of a certain number of the best 

 individuals in the stand. The trees chosen are those 

 most suited to form the final dominant stand, and the 

 number is fully equal to what may stand on the area at 

 maturity. These trees are given the right amount of 

 light and space required for them to produce the class of 

 timber desired. This is done by removing the upper 

 intermediate, co-dominant, and, sometimes, even the 

 dominant trees that are crowding them. The subordi- 

 nate stand is not cut, except to remove dead and dying 

 trees. Most of the lower intermediate and suppressed 

 living trees are retained. Their removal would have 

 practically no effect in helping the growth of the selected 

 leaders, and they act as a soil cover, thus permitting 

 greater freedom in cutting in the upper classes without 

 fear of exposing the soil. The presence of the subordi- 

 nate trees results in excellent natural pruning of the 

 trees in the main stand, particularly by hastening the 

 decay and fall of the dead branches. 



Comparing this method with that used in Germany, 

 it is in substance a thinning in the main stand of the 

 grade D, and a thinning in the subordinate stand of the 

 grade A. From the standpoint of practical operation, 

 the method has the advantage that the trees cut are almost 

 all in the upper classes; their average size is larger than 

 in the other method, and hence the returns are greater. 

 This would sometimes warrant a thinning when market 

 conditions are too poor for the German method. On the 



