AMERICAN SYLVICULTURE 



stands need a longer period of preparation than the light-demanding 

 species. On soil rich with lime and in the lowlands, the prepara- 

 tory stage is much shorter than on sandstone and in the highlands. 



c. Area: The area (in per cent, of the entire forest area) to be 

 prepared depends upon the necessities of the market and of the 

 mill (equal annual yield), on the prospects of a seed year, on the 

 frequency of seed years, and on the urgency of other fellings. 



d. Trees: The preparatory cutting should remove all sickly 

 trees and all undesirable species. Further, those which have the 

 crowns low down to the ground, which will shade the young growth 

 later on and which now lessen the rate of disintegration of vege- 

 table matter. No dominant trees should be taken out. Near the 

 •edge of the compartment it is wise to keep the leaf canopy as close 

 as possible, so as to prevent the influence of drying winds. 



e. Marking: The forester himself should mark every tree to be 

 taken out during the preparatory stage. When the wood cutters 

 are not reliable, it is necessary to mark the stumps of the trees 

 as Avell. 



f. Lumbering: Where it pays to dig out the tree by the roots, 

 it is well to do so, because a better seed-bed is the result. Care 

 should be taken that only trees marked are felled, and that those 

 left are not damaged. There is no need to move the firewood and 

 timber out to the roads, if the regeneration area otherwise allows 

 of snaking, wagoning, etc. 



g. Pasture: Cattle should not be admitted any more for pas- 

 turage during the preparatory stage. Pannage of hogs will be of 

 ^ood advantage. Mice and insects are eaten by them. Hogs break 

 up the net work of roots, leaves and moss forming the soil cover 

 and hindering germinating seeds from catching root. 



II. The seeding stage. 



a. Time : The best time for " seeding cutting " is a seed year. 

 The forester should be able to tell from the looks of the buds 



whether a seed year is at hand. The frequency of seed years 

 depends on the species and on the locality. 



If there is no prospect for seeds, the seeding cutting should 

 be postponed, and if a sustained yield is desired, it should be 

 made up by preparatory cuttings, final cuttings and thinnings. 



b. The area over which the seeding cutting should extend 

 ■depends on the area prepared for regeneration, on the length of the 

 period of regeneration, on the periodical occurrence of seed years, on 

 the requirements for a sustained yield and on the available market. 



126 



