SELECTION FELLINGS FOR SCOTCH AND ALEPPO PINE 87 



ways be taken to favor the spruce if this species is especially desired. But 

 judging from results studied in France the practice of sacrificing a fair 

 species hke fir for spruce (which brings a little better price) is poor 

 technique, and there is danger of windfall. 



The spruce and fir regeneration in the forest of St. Martin d'Arc is 

 favored by cleaning out the birch, aspen, and other less desirable species. 

 In the case of pine a complete cleaning is made wherever groups require 

 more light; with fir the cleaning is gradual and partial. In this particular 

 forest the cutting period is 15 years with a separate rotation for each 

 species, whereas in other parts of the Savoie the working plans officer 

 usually establishes one rotation to cover all species. In the improvement 

 cuttings undesirable trees are often left because if all undesirable ones 

 were cut it would mean a too heavy felling. In the neighborhood of 

 Thonon (Savoie), above the Drance River, the selection fellings take 

 place every 12 to 14 years, according to the working plan, but, in practice, 

 they cannot take place quite so often because the amount to be removed 

 is limited and accidental fellings consume too much of the yield. On this 

 rich soil the spruce comes in best in the openings. The protection zone 

 covers a 30 per cent rocky slope where only windfall is removed. In the 

 forest of Bonnevaux a selection cutting removed one tree from the center 

 of a group of three — a diseased tree, one that was suppressed, and a 

 stag-headed tree — as well as two trees which were suppressing fir repro- 

 duction. An opening 66 by 98 feet was made at one place because of the 

 removal of a large tree with a bad crown. The cut probably removed 25 

 per cent of the stand, the amount removed being necessitated by the 

 poor condition of the trees. In the forest of Grande Chartreuse, cut over 

 by selection fellings, weeds have come in in the openings which were made 

 to favor the reproduction of spruce, since fir here reproduces under cover 

 before the spruce can gain a foothold. In the forest of Chapelle d'Huin 

 beech and a little oak are mixed with the fir. Beech is cut rather heavily, 

 especially in cleanings, because firewood values have decreased to such an 

 extent. There is too much beech coming in under the old stand of fir but, 

 curiously enough, under the beech there is a good deal of fir. In this 

 locality, for the value of cord wood removed, the peasants will cut the 

 beech; thus the cleaning is made free of charge. 



Selection Fellings for Scotch and Aleppo Pine. — Ordinary selection 

 felhng is not suitable for Scotch pine; gi'oup selection, when apphed to 

 a hght-demanchng species, must produce two results — it must diminish 

 the number of stems in the stand so as to open it up sufficiently and it 

 must make openings large enough so that the seedlings will receive the 

 necessary light, at least during the middle of the day. The size of these 

 openings or holes depends on the height of the tree and distance from 

 the seed trees. It is usually necessary to concentrate these fellings on, 



