VALUE AND EMPLOYMENT OF THE UNIFORM METHOD. 357 



moreover, in a mixed forest, it ought to be possible to regulate 

 effectietly the proportionate distribution of the various desirable 

 species in the young crop. Fourthly, the species and the loca- 

 lity should be such that the trees, on the forest being opened 

 out by the seed-and the after-fellings, are neither blown down nor 

 injured by isolation. Fifthly, the species should be able to form 

 a complete leaf-canopy, and thus protect the soil, up to at least the 

 age at which the seed-felling is to be made. Sixthly and lastly, 

 the whole or almost the whole produce of the fellings should be 

 readily marketable. 



In a pure, or more or less pure, crop, the mere fact of the main 

 species being gregarious proves at least that the first and fourth 

 conditions always, and the fifth generally, are present ; and hence 

 it is only necessary to ascertain whether the other three conditions 

 also obtain to determine whether the uniform method is or is not 

 applicable. If it is applicable, the formation of regular crops en- 

 sures the permanence of the main species. 



In a mixed forest the consideration of the problem is more 

 complex. A mixed forest may be composed either (A) to a great 

 extent of a single strong gregarious species, or (B) mainly of two 

 such species, or (C) mainly of more than two such species, or (D) 

 of numerous species, none of which shows any tendency to become 

 gregarious. 



(A) If the mixed forest is composed to a great extent of a 

 single strong gregarious species, we have a case resembling that 

 of a pure forest, with the exception that the presence, however 

 restricted, of the companion species renders the regeneration more 

 certain and complete. Bat it is necessary that the gregarious 

 species should be one which possesses a high market value and for 

 which there is an extensive demand ; otherwise the uniform age 

 and height of each crop would only favour this exclusive species at 

 the expense of the more valuable ones, already in far too small a 

 minority, and the present method of regeneration would be inap- 

 plicable. 



(B) If the forest consists mainly of two strong gregarious 

 species, neither of which is much sought after, whereas some of the 

 rest have a high market value, the inapplicability of the uniform 

 method is more clearly indicated than even in the first case, for 

 here the other trees have two adverse species much stronger than 

 themselves to struggle against, instead of only a single one. But if 

 one at least of these gregarious species is valuable and sells readily, 

 the method may be adopted, provided the two species have totally 



