124 ELEMENTS OF SYLVICULTURE. 



is determined to grow simple coppice, the most im- 

 portant produce sought is the underwood. Hence 

 this latter ought to be overtopped as little as possible, 

 and the role of the standards should be restricted 

 to that of seed-bearers ; otherwise it would be far 

 better and this is often true for all proprietors 

 not to mince matters, but to go in boldly for coppice 

 with standards. 



MAINTENANCE OPEEATIONS. In simple coppice 

 these operations may consist in a little planting to 

 fill up the blanks, which invariably occur here and 

 there when there are no seed-bearers ; and in clean- 

 ings, the object of which is to prevent the encroach- 

 ment of the inferior trees. These cleanings have 

 also for special object the liberation of saplings and 

 transplants, which grow slowly at first, and cannot 

 cope with the rapidly growing coppice shoots. 



These operations are included in those which have 

 to be performed in coppice with standards, and will 

 be described in the next chapter. 



APPLICATION OF SIMPLE COPPKJE TREATMENT. 

 COPPICE OF A SINGLE SPECIES. 



THE OAKS. The holm oak in Provence and 

 Dauphine, the Pyrenean oak in the country round 

 Bayonne, the sessile-flowered and peduncled oaks in 

 the centre of France and in the Ardennes, frequently 

 form of themselves pure simple coppice. The first 

 two are grown almost solely with a view to the 

 production of bark, and the rotations are very short, 

 ten to fifteen years. They scarcely yield 4s. 6d. per 



