SYSTEMS OF CLEAR-CUTTING 97 



most commonly used in this country. In many cases the 

 stand comprises a restricted area, which is cleared in one 

 year's operation. In other cases there may be a very 

 large stand of mature timber to be cleared, requiring 

 several years' consecutive work to finish. In the latter 

 case, the area cut in a single year is large, and is not 

 comparable to the strips or patches described in the suc- 

 ceeding sections. 



Clear-Cutting in Strips. — It has been explained (page 

 86) that extensive clearings are attended with certain 

 dangers. In order to reduce these dangers, the strip 

 clear-cutting was devised. This consists of removing a 

 stand by a series of clearings in progressive strips, each 

 relativelv narrow. After cutting a given strip the new 

 growth is established, and then several years are allowed 

 to elapse before the next strip is cut. The new stand 

 is in a measure protected by the neighboring trees, and 

 at no time is there a very large clearing in any one 

 place. This method is common in Europe. Its appli- 

 cation in this country will for the present be confined to 

 second-growth woodlots. 



Clear - Cutting in Patches. — Under this method 

 small clearings, more or less irregular in size and shape, 

 are cut in the stand and restocked artificially. These 

 patches are usually not over one-quarter to three acres in 

 extent. After several years the clearings are enlarged 

 by strips entirely surrounding them; and these are 

 promptly restocked by planting. The process continues 

 until the stand is entirelv cleared. This is another 



