54 SOME TYPES OF BKITISH WOODLANDS. 



Let it be assumed that a proprietor has an area of 200 acres 

 in one block, or in a number of blocks, say four of fifty acres 

 each, or one of 100 acres and two of fifty acres each, or any 

 other combination, the soil and situation being suitable for 

 the growth of oak, ash, and larch. 



Determination of the Rotation of the Underwood. The first 

 point to decide is what age the underwood is to reach. The 

 answer depends, of course, on local conditions. In some cases 

 the underwood is cut at the age of 10 years, in others at 12, 

 15, 20, or more years. In the High Meadow woods it has 

 been decided to cut it at 35 years. This is a somewhat high 

 age, but it has been adopted chiefly because at that age the 

 underwood yields material fit for pit-timber. Short rotations 

 of the underwood have the important disadvantage that the 

 overwood will develop strong branches low down, and yield 

 stems clear of branches only to a moderate height, but the 

 advantage that stools will send up vigorous coppice shoots. 

 Long rotations of the underwood have the advantage that the 

 overwood or standards will have boles clear of branches to a 

 considerable height, and thus yield timber of high value, but 

 the disadvantage that a certain portion of the stools will send 

 up either feeble shoots or none at all. A middle course is 

 probably best. If the underwood consists chiefly of ash, with 

 an admixture of hazel, the rotation of it might be fixed, on 

 fairly good land, at 20 to 25 years, according to local con- 

 ditions. In this way the standards of oak and ash can be kept 

 clear of branches to a height of about 30 feet. Let us say, for 

 the sake of illustration, that 20 years has been chosen. 



Division of Area into Annual Coupes. The second step is to 

 arrange the woods into twenty coupes, or cutting areas, of 

 approximately equal extent, and to deal with one coupe in each 

 year. In our example that coupe would be equal to 200 -=-20 = 10 

 acres. If more convenient, the area may be divided into forty 

 coupes of five acres each, of which two are dealt with in 

 each year. If the total area of woods is very large, there 

 would be two, three, or more series, each containing twenty 



