WORKING PLANS AND CULTURAL METHODS 1 33 



doned. The fires, unfortunately so frequent in Corsica, were 

 really disastrous and deadly for young even-aged regular 

 stands obtained by the high forest method; their destruction 

 often made blanks of great area in the stands. On the other 

 hand the treatment in irregular or selection high forest (where 

 the reproduction is secured by scattered felhngs) leaves all 

 over the forest mature seed trees, which, because of thick 

 bark, can resist the fire. Young growth killed by fire is thus 

 replaced entirely by nature. 



"It is for this reason that the selection system has been 

 adopted finally in Corsica for all species, instead of the regular 

 high forest." 



Application. — The selection system finally adopted is essen- 

 tially a group selection, or, as it was named by de Lapasse, 

 the "Ecumoire" (a perforated ladle used by cooks for skimming 

 soup) system of cutting, where httle holes are made in the 

 stand. It is regular enough to warrant thinnings and yet 

 irregular enough to avoid the extreme fire dangers of even- 

 aged stands.^^ An unpublished official description of the system 

 in use is as follows: 



"Since every pine is essentially a hght-demanding species, 

 in order to obtain natural regeneration it is necessary to 

 open up the soil quite freely, because a cover is not necessary 

 for the seedlings. The stand which results from these pre- 

 tended selection felhngs does not necessarily have any simi- 

 larity with the theoretical selection high forest; it is formed 

 of large patches of timber of the same size, often of the same 

 age, which follow each other irregularly. The size of the 

 opening necessary to give all the light required for the de- 

 velopment of the seedUngs depends on the slope, the total 

 height of the stand, and on the condition of the soil. It 

 cannot be fixed in advance, but the canopy may be freely 

 interrupted, since the entrance of dangerous winds need not 

 be feared." 



But perhaps the most complete official description of the 

 present selection method is given in the Aitone working plan, 

 Art. 8, dated Nov. 30, 1907. Here the degree of regularity 

 aimed at is well described : 



^ Valdoniello working plan, Dec. 20, 1900, pp. 6-7. 



