AMERICAN S Y L V 1 C U L T U R E 



Dense thickets, consisting of many saplings, are mei'ely re- 

 quired to maintain the fertility of the soil and to prevent, by 

 natural pruning, the young boles from growing into brushy and 

 branchy specimens ("orchard trees"). 



For the purpose at stake it is immaterial, in a sense, whether 

 the thickets consist of a " mob " of shrubby weeds mixed Avith a 

 few " aristocrats " hailing from valuable species, or whether the 

 'entire thicket consists of " artistocrats." More than that; whilst 

 the aristocrat may have at best a small value as a sapling or as a 

 small pole, the " mob " frequently is more conducive to jiroper soil 

 protection and to proper development of the " aristocracy " into large 

 poles and standards than a purely artistocratic crowd. 



The danger, of course, prevails in mixed stands continuously lest 

 the aristocrats might be overtopped and killed by the mob. 



A. Wherever the mob consists of even-aged seedlings 



(not of stoolshoots) of shrubs, that danger is small, shrubs usually 

 exhibiting a slow rate of height growth (Alder, Dogwood, Hazel, 

 Witchhazel, Rhododendron, etc.). 



Stoolshoots of shrubs, on the other hand, frequently grow so 

 fast, so dense and so rank that they are sure to o\erpower an 

 aristocracy of seedlings having the same age. 



If the mob promises to easily obtain the upper hand, then it 

 is usually wise to delay regeneration until the shrubbage shows, at 

 a much later year, signs of a declining growth (Calmia) ; or else 

 to wait until the shrubs allow a deadening (Dogwood) ; or to fire 

 the shrubbage (Blackjack) in heavy seed years of the aristocratic 

 parentage; or to lumber heavily if the shrubs (Striped ]\Iaple) are 

 sensitive and if the aristocrats are hard3^ 



Certain weedy shrubs, e. g.. Bamboo species, offer periodically a 

 chance for subdual, viz., when death overtakes them gregariously 

 during their own seed years. 



Other shrubs are eagerly eaten (or peeled) by sheep, goats 

 or cattle, and might be brought to submission, in the winter fol- 

 lowing the fruiting of the aristocrats, by heavj^ pasturage. 



The purpose at stake, in American Sylviculture, for years to 

 <;ome, cannot consist in homogeneous regenerations of aristocrats 

 evenly covering the regeneration area; it can consist in but that 

 form, quality and density of regeneration — usually a partially suc- 

 cessful regeneration — which the forester considers financially most 

 desirable (compare paragraph XLI. E). 



The extirpation of shrubs by pickaxe and plow is usually 

 impossible, unless it can be combined with " toungya." 



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