30 FORESTRY IN NEW ENGLAND 



been developed in Europe, can be used. The cuttings fall into 

 three classes: 



1. Preparatory cuttings. 



2. Seed cuttings. 



3. Removal cuttings including the final cutting. 



The purpose of the preparatory cutting is to prepare the soil 

 for the reception and germination of the seed. Often in a dense 

 stand, such as many of our spruce stands, there is a heavy layer 

 of "duff" or decaying needles, and the seed cannot come in 

 contact with the mineral soil, and hence may either fail to germi- 

 nate or die soon after it germinates. 



The increased circulation of air following a thinning dis- 

 integrates the humus and makes a favorable seed bed, and the 

 remaining trees cast enough shade to prevent the rank growth of 

 injurious weeds. The preparatory cutting also gradually ac- 

 customs the mother trees to isolation, and tends to make them 

 more windfirm. This cutting removes the inferior trees — those 

 which are diseased, suppressed, defective, or particularly liable 

 to windfall, and weed species not desired in the next crop. From 

 20 to 30 per cent of the volume of the stand is removed in the 

 preparatory cuttings, leaving a space of not over three to five 

 feet between the crowns of the remainder. After an interval of 

 from five to ten years the humus should be sufficiently decom- 

 posed to leave the mineral soil exposed in spots, when it is time 

 for the seed cutting. This is a heavy thinning made during a 

 seed year by taking out from one-quarter to one-half of the 

 original stand, and with the purpose of estabhshing proper 

 conditions for the start of reproduction. The best results are 

 obtained with heavy-seeded trees, if this cutting can be made 

 after the seed has fallen. The largest and most spreading- topped 

 trees are removed at this time, as felling them later might 

 damage the reproduction. If unfavorable conditions exist, the 

 reproduction after the seed cutting may be assisted artificially 

 by planting or simply by stirring up the soil with mattocks, or 

 by pasturing hogs with the purpose of rooting up the fitter and 

 exposing the mineral soil. 



