96 NATURAL REGENERATION 



to 600 per acre are sometimes reserved. Thiollier ^^ gives four rules for the 

 improvement of coppice-under-standards : (1) Lengthen coppice ro- 

 tations; (2) increase the density of the reserves and thin when coppice 

 is 20 years of age; (3) concentrate the oak on the soil best suited to it; 

 (4) choose standards best suited to the soil. Gazin/* one of the best 

 foresters in France, in private employ, has called attention to the bad 

 effect of higher labor costs on coppice exploitations and the necessity for 

 reserving more standards and planting. He advocates using 100-foot 

 strips through the cutting area, cutting clean the coppice on half the 

 strips and the ripe standards on all strips so as to (1) get mine props from 

 the coppice held over; (2) crowd out the weed trees; (3) enrich the stand; 

 (4) improve the soil by having uncut strips. Such procedure is mani- 

 festly a compromise so as not to reduce the revenue too much during the 

 process of increasing the growing stock. 



The following rules for the choice of standards have been developed 

 in France: ^^ (1) All reserved trees (standards) must be of sufficient 

 distance apart so that the branches of their crowns cannot join before 

 the end of the rotation which is beginning. If they do join sufficient 

 Hght will not be admitted to allow the coppice understory to develop. 

 (2) It is not absolutely essential to have the reserves evenly distributed 

 over the cutting area because to do this means to sacrifice the choice of 

 species. For instance, it is better to have some grouping of the reserves 

 if by so doing some good oak standards can be secured. (3) It is ad- 

 vantageous to reserve a great number of standards near the forest 

 boundaries to serve as a wind protection and to prevent the soil in the 

 interior of the cutting areas from drying out too much. (4) It is also 

 advantageous to have the reserves, so far as possible, situated near the 

 logging roads and compartment hues, since it makes cutting cheaper 

 and the product more valuable, at the same time giving the forest the 

 appearance of richness. (5) A good, sound oak should always be favored 

 as against other species for the reserve. (6) If two trees are oak of 

 equal vigor the largest should be reserved if it will last until the next 

 rotation. (7) If neither of the two trees is oak, reserve the next best 

 species and the straightest, thriftiest tree. (8) The selection of first- 

 year standards should be made personally by an experienced forester. 

 Broilhard adheres to the rule: "It is always the vigor of a tree that 

 should determine its retention, and those are the big trees which enrich 

 the coppice." A good coppice-under-standards is impossible with a 

 short rotation for the coppice, because the length of clear bole of the 

 standards is determined by the height of the coppice. With a rotation 



13 Taillis et Futaie Melanges, par E. Liouville (Thiollier cited). Besangon, 1911. 

 " Coupes de Taillis sous Futaie par Bandes Alternes. Brochure, pp. 73-85. 

 15 Jolyet, pp. 235-239. 



