THE SELECTION SYSTEM 65 



Influence of Market Conditions 



The principles given in the foregoing are subject to 

 restrictions in their practical application imposed by poor 

 market conditions. 



In the first place, it may happen that only a certain 

 number of the species are merchantable. Thus, for ex- 

 ample, in the Adirondacks there are certain areas where a 

 number of the hardwood species cannot be marketed at 

 all. Sometimes the best individuals of a species can be 

 cut at a profit, but the crooked and defective trees are 

 not merchantable. Ordinarily it is the merchantable 

 species which the forester desires to reproduce. If he 

 cannot cut the less desirable kinds, he is forced to leave 

 the ground practically in their possession for reproduc- 

 tion. This will result in a reduction in the proportion 

 of the best species. There is, however, no alternative 

 except to wait for a market, and this is often, if not usu- 

 ally, impracticable. When such is the case the forester 

 leaves the forest in the best condition for reproduction 

 possible under the circumstances, but he must expect 

 that there will be certain areas on which the poor species 

 will gain the upper hand. 



The larger trees which cannot be sold — because they 

 are either of poor grade or of poor species — usually inter- 

 fere with the growth of trees of better character. Their 

 removal would increase the growth of the forest by re- 

 leasing the trees which they crowd, and replacing them 

 with reproduction of valuable species. But this would 



