THE DENSITY OF FOREST CROPS. 



37 



time, reduced to a limited number, the strongest taking the 

 lead, and suppressing the others. In this case, ordinarily no 

 extra expenditure is incurred, and the bountiful regeneration 

 provided by Nature causes the surviving plants to be pushed 

 up by their less-favoured companions, which are destined to 

 die an early death. Similar effects may be produced by sowing 

 large quantities of seed to the acre, but this causes additional 

 expenditure. The latter is further increased if dense planting 

 is attempted ; and it is a question for serious consideration, up 

 to what extent dense planting is financially justified. 



The question can be answered only through statistical data 

 based upon numerous measurements and countings. Such data 

 are not available in this country ; hence we must have 

 recourse to those collected in Germany and France, especially 

 in the former country. Investigations have been going on 

 now for a considerable number of years, so that we have data 

 based upon many thousands of measurements. I have com- 

 pared them with measurements made by me in this country, 

 and I am of opinion, that, on average land, the following are 

 the most suitable numbers of trees at various ages, whenever 

 the production of dean timber is aimed at. 



NUMBER OF TREES, PER ACRE. 



The numbers in the above table refer only to soil of 

 average quality. On first class soil the numbers are smaller, 

 and on inferior soil, larger. Figures for larch are not avail- 

 able at present, as, owing to the larch disease, that species is 



