THINNING. 35 



towards each, other, exclude the light from those 

 left behind, which cease growing, and gradually 

 die ; and this process being repeated at every stage 

 of growth, the fifty or a hundred saplings are at 

 last reduced to one mature tree. 



In thinning forests of gregarious trees, the 

 German forest officer usually leaves the matter to 

 Nature, until the poles have attained a market 

 value which leaves a profit on cutting out, and 

 then he follows Nature closely by cutting out only 

 those trees which he sees are being domineered 

 over, trees of useless timber which have sprung 

 up spontaneously, or distorted or damaged trees, 

 which, although they may dominate, will not 

 make good timber ; but when the remaining trees 

 have been thus drawn up to nearly their full 

 height, it is sometimes thought advisable to thin 

 out sharply to the extent of 50 per cent., or as 

 much as will leave each remaining tree the neces- 

 sary space for its full development, by which 

 means larger timber is secured than is to be found 

 in forests in which the trees are allowed to struggle 

 with each other to the end. 



In Scotland a somewhat different method is 

 commonly pursued. The Scotch forester frequently 

 thins out the best-developed stems, on the theory 

 that he thus not only secures a better immediate 

 return, but that the reserved trees, although they 



