110 ELEMENTS OF SYLVICULTUEE. 



disappear, and reduce the forest to pure oak. Lastly, 

 to speak generally, it is not easy to obtain natural 

 reproduction except in canopied forest of mature age, 

 and it is always extremely dangerous to try and 

 obtain it prematurely. 



These dangers are not inherent in the method, for 

 the method is not defective, but they arise from 

 mistakes in its application. The fact is that this 

 method makes the action of the forester only too 

 easy ; and if he is not imbued with sound ideas of 

 forest culture, or if he is wanting in activity and, 

 above all, prudence, he may commit faults that a 

 century will scarce suffice to repair. 



The true forester will studiously avoid all whole- 

 sale operations, unless they are clearly called for by 

 the circumstances of the case. Thus, when under- 

 taking regeneration he will get rid of all undergrowth, 

 but he will preserve it in every other case ; so again 

 when making a cleaning or a thinning, he will avoid 

 the wholesale extraction of birch or other indigenous 

 and useful trees ; in a thinning he will preserve over- 

 topped plants that can survive a while longer ; lastly, 

 in a primary cutting, unless there are distinct reasons 

 for making it open, he will make it close. He must 

 never act at haphazard. If he is at all doubtful of 

 the result, he will hold his hand and leave nature to 

 herself. He must remember that if he can some- 

 times guide her course, he ought never to substitute 

 for it systems based on foregone conclusions. 



