72 NATURAL REGENERATION 



trary, are very important in all the young stands. With clear cutting it 

 is naturally necessary to regulate grazing. On account of the richness of 

 the soil the grazing is quite valuable, and the communes even insist on the 

 clearing out of the briars and underbrush which formerly protected the 

 young oak. Under these conditions the grazing is prohibited two years 

 before the clear cutting in order to enable the seedlings to establish them- 

 selves to the very best advantage, and in addition the area cut over is 

 closed for 12 years after felhng operations [75], making 14 years of closure. 

 Clear Cutting Maritime Pine. — The maritime pine is essentially a 

 hght-demanding tree, and while it can stand the average winter in the 

 northeast of France it cannot withstand unusual cold. It furnishes an 

 abundance of seed every year with remarkable regularity. It was for- 

 merly treated by a sort of crude selection system. The great importance 

 of the tree is on account of its resin production. Formerly it was tapped 

 for resin and when a tree was dying it was cut. In these openings the 

 young seedhngs came up but developed poorly because there was in- 

 sufficient light. On account of the prolific seed production after clear 

 cutting and because cones open under the effect of the sun's heat, after 

 the trees are felled, it is essential that the species be clear cut. Scattered 

 seed trees after felling are unnecessary. The young seedlings develop 

 excellently in full sunhght and are neither damaged by the heat nor by 

 the spring frosts. According to the working plan for the State forest of 

 Carcans the following silvicultural operations are in force: 



"1. Successive regeneration by clear cutting preceded by tapping to death. 



"2. Thinning by tapping to death the superfluous stems of those which are of poor 

 quahty after the trees reach 26 years of age. Tapping alive trees which have reached a 

 diameter of 13 inches. 



"3. Thinnings in young stands in order to obviate the extremely slow growth of 

 very dense stands." 



It should be noted that the maritime pine immediately bordering the 

 ocean is never clear cut but is maintained as a protection belt against the 

 sand dunes. Only dead and dying trees are cut from this shelter belt. 

 As a matter of fact the trees, owing to the wind, are inferior in quality 

 and stunted in growth. 



Clear Cutting Aleppo Pine. — On account of the dry soil conditions 

 which are prevalent in aleppo pine or stone pine forests, clear cutting 

 is rarely advisable (see pp. 88-89). The forester in charge of the impor- 

 tant aleppo pine forests around Marseilles uses a conservative group- 

 selection system, making it a point never to expose the soil. 



Spruce Strip Fellings. — Notwithstanding the development of various 

 forms of strip felhngs in Germany and Switzerland, they have not been 

 practiced to any extent in France. This is only another illustration of 



