344 NATURAL REGENERATION BY SEED. 



IV. What to remove in the seed-felling. 



If the process of fructification has not to be assisted, then, pro- 

 vided their removal does not open out the crop too much or deprive 

 some desirable species of its necessary complement of seed-bearers, 

 the following trees should be taken out : 



(i) All low-crowned trees, if any still remain in spite of the 

 preparatory fellings. 



(ii) All large-crowned trees, which, besides being bad nurses 

 and monopolising the soil in which their roots ramify, must, if 

 felled afterwards, do considerable and wide-spread damage among 

 the young growth. 



(iii) All suppressed trees, which, being unable to make any 

 further growth, only uselessly occupy soil that would much more 

 profitably be left to the roots of the new seedlings. 



(iv) All trees that tower above the rest. Such trees, for any 

 large increments they may make individually, would keep back 

 their very much more numerous neighbours and thereby prevent a 

 much larger possible aggregate increment. 



(v) All thin lanky trees, which are almost certain to get bent 

 down or even broken, when isolated. 



(vi) All unhealthy unsound trees, and those in full decay* 

 These trees ought obviously to be utilised before they become 

 completely useless ; their removal will make more room for the 

 growing trees. 



(vi) All trees with, heritable defects, which detract from the 

 usefulness and market value of their timber. 



(vii) The older weakly trees from among overcrowded groups, 

 (ix) Trees of inferior species adjoining sound and promising 

 individuals of more valuable kinds and not required either in the 

 interests of regeneration or to maintain the fertility of the soil : 

 if the more valuable species are unable to protect the soil, a suffi- 

 cient number of individuals of inferior soil-impi'ovmg species must 

 of course be preserved. If an advance growth of any of the inferior 

 species has come up any where, then, save the exception just indi- 

 cated, there ought to be no hesitation in ridding the parent crop at 

 such points of individuals of those species. 



(x) Seed-hearing trees of inferior species, which threaten to 

 obstruct the more difficult or tardy reproduction of the valuable 

 kinds. 



If in addition to the necessity of admitting enough sunlight for 

 the future crop of seedlings, the seed-felling is required also to help 



