20 FORESTRY IN NEW ENGLAND 



B. THE CLEAR-CUTTING SYSTEMS. 



Where such a large proportion of the trees is cut that the 

 remainder does not influence the growth of reproduction, it is 

 called a "clear cutting." The clearing may be done in one or a 

 series of operations but is usually accomplished in twenty years 

 at most. While the selection system is best adapted for many 

 of our virgin forests under present conditions, there are certain 

 exigencies which make clear cutting, especially of even-aged 

 forests, more profitable as well as preferable from a silvicultural 

 standpoint. For example, in the pure spruce forests of the steep 

 slopes of the White Mountains there is such great danger of 

 windfall if scattered trees are left that some form of clear cutting 

 is a necessity. This is also the case where logging is so difficult 

 and expensive that only infrequent operations can be profitable; 

 and where trees are so large that later removal would injure 

 valuable reproduction. In many of our culled forests so little 

 of value is left that it is practically necessary to cut clean the 

 inferior growth and replant. Of course there are certain dis- 

 advantages in the use of these systems, among the most impor- 

 tant being the exposure of the soil, especially on steep slopes, to 

 erosion. Berry bushes and other weeds are apt to spring up on 

 such areas and seriously interfere with reproduction. Young 

 trees are more apt to be injured by sun, wind, frost, and insects 

 than when started under shade. Good forestry principles de- 

 mand that the areas cut clean shall not be very large. 



Young growth may be secured after clear cutting either by 

 natural seeding or artificially by sowing or planting. The 

 detailed methods of accomplishing artificial reproduction will be 

 discussed later under the chapter on Planting, so only its theory 

 need be considered here. It will be readily seen that natural 

 reproduction is a rather slow process, while restocking by plant- 

 ing can be accomplished at once, and is more certain to be 

 successful. Then, again, the varieties obtainable by natural 

 means are limited to those already present; but in planting, the 

 species best adapted to the soil or most remunerative may be 



