10 PROTECTION OF WOODLANDS. 



greater danger from early frosts. That the shedding of the 

 leaves of the Scots Pine, by many considered due to late frosts 

 (see par. 35), may also be due occasionally to early frosts, can be 

 incidentally mentioned, whilst heart-shakes or frost-shake in the 

 mature wood are also often caused by early frost. 1 



7. Preventive Measures against Injuries from Frost. 



With the single exception to be mentioned at the close of this 

 paragraph, there is no practical way of making good any damage 

 that has actually taken place from frost ; but, on the other hand, 

 Sylviculture provides a variety of means by which damage to 

 young plantations and woods can to a greater or less extent be 

 prevented, whilst for seed-beds and nurseries a number of directly 

 protective measures are available at our disposal. 



The chief preventive measures, which can be applied on a large 

 scale for the protection of young plantations and thickets, 

 consist in the formation and reproduction of crops of trees liable 

 to suffer from frost, especially of Beech and Silver Fir, under 

 protective or parent standards, maintenance of fairly dense 

 canopy or shelter overhead, with gradual removal or clearance of 

 the same, avoidance of sudden, usually very injurious exposure 

 of the young growth thus formed or reproduced, and maintenance 

 of a protective belt on the east and north-east sides till the chief 

 period of danger for the young crop is at an end. Hardy softwoods, 

 like Aspen and Birch, which often assert themselves spontaneously 

 in large numbers among the young growth, may form a very 

 desirable protection for the more sensitive species, in which case 

 they should only be gradually cleared or weeded out. 



Where natural protective standards are wanting in localities 

 exposed to danger from frost, they can be artifically produced by 

 means of hardy woods of speedy growth, like Pine, Birch, or 

 Alder, which should be planted out in rows somewhat wide apart. 

 When these have attained a height suitable to afford protectioi 

 the planting out of the species requiring shelter can take pie 

 between the rows ; and when the main crop has developed so far 

 to be above the frost-height, the protective species can then be 

 gradually removed. Patches that are essentially frost-holes should 

 always, when possible, be planted up with hardy species. 



1 Gayer classes frost among the causes of heart-shakes, but considers the damage 

 due to the action of winter frosts (Forstbcnutzung, 7th edit., 1888, page 53). Trans. 



