74 ELEMENTS OF SYLVICULTUEE. 



Only the work must be carried on in such a manner 

 that the seedlings are produced gradually, so as 

 never to isolate the oak. As it is the peduncled 

 oak that is generally accompanied by the hornbeam, 

 it would be a mistake, still more fatal here than in 

 the case of the beech, to endeavour to obtain a 

 regular double regeneration of the companion tree 

 during the life of the oak. Besides a certain number 

 of hornbeam will always live long enough to reach 

 the term of rotation adopted for the oak, and these 

 will serve as seed-bearers in the reserve. 



Lastly, if the oak forms only a small proportion of 

 the crop, so much the more reason is there to give 

 them all the room they require. Indeed one of the 

 objects of thinnings is to proportion the number of 

 trees of each kind, and we must not lose sight of the 

 fact, that if in good soils it is expedient to have a 

 large proportion of oak at the end of the rotation, it 

 is the companion tree that should preponderate at 

 the beginning. It is in the operation of thinning, too, 

 that the oaks left standing at the time of the final 

 cutting may be removed as the necessity arises. 



It may be of some advantage perhaps, as a sequel 

 to the treatment of the oak, to call attention to 

 drainage works which one may be tempted to carry 

 out. It has sometimes been forgotten that the 

 peduncled oak finds its natural home in very moist 

 and even damp soils ; it is the denizen of low 

 lying plains exposed to more or less frequent inunda- 

 tions. Whenever then the water is not stagnant and 

 the soil does not become marshy, it would be a 

 mistake to do any draining. There is no doubt that 



