COPPICE WITH STANDARDS. 149 



from the reserve where they are well grown ; and 

 this all the more on account of their being in great 

 demand for certain purposes. 



We have said enough to show that the operation 

 of marking for reserves is a difficult one to do well, 

 whether it be the selection of trees to be felled or 

 those to be preserved as standards. Thus, while 

 aiming at the formation of a numerous reserve, it 

 must above all be remembered that it should be 

 composed solely of really useful material. Except 

 when converting coppice into high forest, it is a 

 mistake to seek number for the sake of number. 

 Besides the risk of creating dangerous cover, and 

 of raising an obstacle to the maintenance of oak 

 seedlings, bodily and mental fatigue is to be 

 feared. 



In marking a number of saplings for first class 

 standards, one is apt to deceive himself into the 

 belief that he has created a very extensive reserve, 

 whereas it often turns out that only a few standards 

 of the second class and two or three of the third class 

 have been left per acre, and yet it is these last that 

 constitute the main value of a coppice with standards. 

 It is therefore necessary to give most attention to the 

 existing reserve and to the intelligent execution of 

 the second clause of Article 70. Without setting 

 aside the first clause, it would be quite as puerile to 

 lay claims to having reserved the prescribed number 

 of trees when no attention whatever has been paid 

 to the species to which they belong, as to stop short 

 on the plea that the required number has been 

 .attained, relatively to the total area over which the 



