THE AFTER-FELLINGS IN THE UNIFORM METHOD. 351 



increment. Similarly, those trees should also he got rid of, which 

 belong to species that are already sufficiently represented in the 

 new generation and more of which would be detrimental to its 

 growth. Moreover, if there are any individuals young enough to 

 send up, when felled, an abundant crop of coppice shoots, these 

 should be removed as early in the series of after-fellings as possible, 

 because the later they are felled, the more difficult will it become, 

 under the continually diminishing leaf-canopy, to prevent an abun- 

 dant regrowth from them. Trees with low or large spreading 

 crowns should also, if circumstances permit, be taken out. 



Wherever reproduction has failed or has come up in an incom- 

 plete manner, and wherever in mixed forest, although seedlings may 

 be numerous enough, certain species are insufficiently represented, 

 there seed-bearers of the proper species should be carefully pre- 

 served in order to produce seed and protect the soil, as well as to 

 act as nurses later on. This rule cannot of course apply to the last 

 after-felling, and its importance diminishes with each successive 

 felling of the series. 



The principle of the last after-felling is to remove every surviving 

 tree of the original parent crop ^ for it any trees were left, very 

 serious damage would ensue from their subsequent exploitation to 

 the close-grown saplings forming the new generation. Neverthe- 

 less, if the market requires timber of specially large girth, the more 

 promising, sound and well- shaped trees must be left to attain such 

 dimensions. But when this is the case, every endeavour should 

 be made to select the trees in question along roads and other 

 export lines or in groups, so as to minimise and localise the 

 inevitable damage to the young crop. 



VI Selection and marking of the trees to be felled. 



In selecting trees for the preparatory and seed-fellings the atten- 

 tion had to be directed mainly or solely to the condition of the 

 leaf-canopy ; here by far the larger share of it must be given to the 

 new growth on the ground to see where it wants more light and 

 where it has enough. Hence it is more convenient here also to 

 mark the trees that are to be felled rather than those that are to be 

 left standing. 



The necessity for selecting and marking the trees while every 

 tree and seedling is in full leaf is more urgent here than even in the 

 preceding series of fellings, for at no other time would it be 

 possible to judge whether the reproduction of the several species, 

 and even of all the species taken together, was sufficient or in- 



