AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE. 107 



forester is the ground or area that his trees cover with 

 their branches. This area, when ascertained, shows the 

 number of trees that he can allow to stand upon any 

 given measure. The ground covered by all kinds of 

 trees at the various periods of felling has been carefully 

 ascertained, and a picture of an oak wood divided into 

 five portions, each portion, except the first or seedling 

 period, being covered with an equal extent of shadow, 

 may be presented by a table like the following. The 

 number of trees to be felled at each period is here seen 

 to be prescribed by the growth of the crown or upper 

 branches. 



No. of Trees. 



It is, however, not usual to cover the whole surface, 

 and at the felling period seldom more than one-half is 

 covered by beech and oaks, in order to leave light and 

 air for the succession that is to replace what is taken 

 away. Firs are differently managed, and are kept as 

 much as possible at the same age. When a portion of a 

 fir-forest is felled, the ground is therefore left perfectly 

 clear for the seedlings. 



The description of oak that most abounds in Germany 

 is a very beautiful tree that grows straighter than the elm 

 or the beech, and when judiciously pruned, runs up to 

 the height of 65 or 70 feet from the ground to the crown 

 or top branches. The table we have given above sup- 

 poses an oak of 1 50 years' standing and 70 feet in height 



