THE ART OF THE SECOND GROWTH 



increase in vitalitj'. Trees left becavise worthless should be dead- 

 ened, unless they belong to the aristocracy, or unless they improve 

 the goM sprouts as well as the soil in the role of subordinate 

 companions. 



C. Tmnnings : Thinnings are rare in European coppice woods; 

 in tanbark coppice they usually purport to improve the quality of 

 the bark. Where made, the thinnings usuallj^ remove the weaker 

 shoots of a stump for the benefit of the better and stronger shoots.. 

 The rotations of European coppice being short, heavy thinnings 

 tend to deteriorate the quality (branchiness and shape) of the 

 shoots as well as of the soil; and light thinnings are rarely 

 remunerative. 



In America, coppice of Catalpa, of Cliestnut, of Locust and 

 Hickory may invite heavy thinnings where fence posts, telephone 

 posts, railroad ties, wagonstock, etc., find a ready market. 



In case of Hickory, thinnings periodically removing the best 

 trees (a la Borggreve) might seem indicated. 



D. Improvement cuttings: Improvement cuttings are neces- 

 sary in culled sprout forest emerging directly from primeval hard- 

 wood forest heavily cut or heavily fired. Such forest is invariably 

 encumbered with bushy and worthless standards (if the standards 

 have a value, the forest belongs to the form of coppice under stand- 

 ards described in Par. LXXIII-Par. LXXVIII) interfering with the 

 development of the shoots; or with undesirable species left by the 

 logger. The mob frequently prevails over the aristocrats. 



The first final cut at the end of the first coppice rotation usu- 

 ally answers the purpose of an improvement cutting. 



£. Pruning: Pruning is required to prevent coppice of 

 Catalpa, Locust and Ash from forming forks or heavy brandies. 

 Naturally, pruning is expensive and dangerous at the same time 

 since live branches are removed. The danger is particularly great 

 where the rotations are long, the pruned stump shoots being left 

 for decades of years after pruning. 



In the pollarding form, pi'uning or rather lopping obviously 

 comprises tiie harvest of the crop. 



Paragraph LXX. Key to the forms of sprout 

 forests. 



Altliough coppicing is called a type of natural regeneration, it 

 is an unnatural measure rarely adopted by primeval nature in the 

 177 



