8o ENGLISH ESTATE FORESTRY 



young crop, and this is repeated until the former are 

 removed entirely. The wood thus becomes double-storeyed 

 for a certain period in early and late life, and even-aged in 

 middle age, instead of all ages being represented, as by the 

 Buckinghamshire system. Naturally, a heavier and cleaner 

 crop is the result. 



The yield per acre from a wood worked on the above 

 system, and growing on deep sand, light loam, or chalky 

 subsoils, may be expected to average 50 feet per annum on 

 a rotation of eighty to a hundred years, the nett value of 

 which to the owner may be put at 25s. at the least. But, 

 when worked on the Chiltern Hills system and the timber 

 cut long before it is mature, such returns over a long period 

 are out of the question, although they are often quoted as 

 being attained for short periods. To get good returns from 

 beech or any other shade-bearer, it must be grown clean for 

 the first fifty years or so, or until its height-growth has 

 culminated. Judicious thinning is then of great benefit by 

 promoting a more rapid increase in girth, and allowing a part 

 of the crop to be realised early. It is, however, with beech 

 as with all other trees, poor economy to realise the best part 

 of a crop before it is ripe. 



THE SWEET CHESTNUT (Castanea vesca). 



The sweet or Spanish chestnut is not often regarded 

 as a common timber tree, although its occurrence in woods 

 and parks is common enough. It is rare, however, to find 

 it grown in masses over a large area, except as coppice, and 

 in old age it is chiefly looked upon as an ornamental rather 

 than a useful timber tree. As a general rule, after it has 

 passed a certain age its timber becomes too twisted and 

 shaky to be of any great service, and it is one of the few 

 instances of a timber tree which deteriorates in value as it 

 increases in size. There is little doubt that the sweet 

 chestnut was originally introduced to these islands, and 

 probably by the Komans. Like the beech, however, it may 

 be said to be a perfectly acclimatised tree, so far as the 

 south and west of England are concerned. In these parts 



