156 ELEMENTS OF SYLVICULTURE. 



thing out of the straight portion of the clump with- 

 out hurting the trailers ; and in order to avoid this, 

 it would he necessary to cut at some height from 

 the ground. Moreover, they are seldom produced, 

 except on stools of hornbeam, which copses freely, 

 retains this power till an advanced age, and whose 

 maintenance in the underwood is still further assured 

 by frequent and abundant seedings. There is there- 

 fore very little advantage to be gained by their 

 reservation. 



PLANTING OPERATIONS. If the cleanings and 

 thinnings, which we have just discussed, have been 

 carefully made, there is little occasion for planting. 

 Still in the actual state of our forests, the generally 

 small number of standards left in our coppices has 

 gradually resulted in a decrease in the number of 

 oaks. Nay, sometimes the proportion of this species 

 in the reserve is entirely insufficient, and the under- 

 wood is too low and close to permit one to expect 

 an adequate number of oak seedlings. Hence arises 

 the necessity of introducing the oak artificially. 



To this end many methods have been suggested. 

 Although we have not yet taken in hand the subject 

 of artificial restocking, it is easily seen that we are 

 here concerned only with planting. Sowing is im- 

 practicable except when the area to be restocked is 

 large ; otherwise the seedlings, which germinate, 

 would inevitably be suppressed. 



Hartig directs that after the coppice is cut, twenty 

 large seedlings per acre should be planted, so as to 

 give them a start over the coppice. This method is 

 defective from many points of view. As will be seen 



