124 THE PRINCIPLES OF HANDLING WOODLANDS 



area is so situated that the necessary location of the roads 

 will not permit the laying off of the strips at right an- 

 gles to the direction of the prevailing wind. It is usu- 

 ally possible, however, to make them run in such a way 

 that seed will blow across them. This may necessitate- 

 making the strips narrower than would be proper if their 

 location were the best. 



If the timber is situated on a long, even slope, the 

 method of alternate strips can be used, provided that 

 a profitable logging operation can be conducted. Ordi- 

 narily under such circumstances, the strips are run up and 

 down the slopes. On broken, rugged topography the 

 method of regular alternating strips cannot be used at all. 

 The clearings are then located according to the topogra- 

 ph^, and are arranged very irregularly in the manner 

 described on page 128. 



Width of Strips. — The width of the strips depends 

 on the distance to which seed will be distributed in suffi- 

 cient quantity to insure reproduction. It depends also 

 on the conditions for germination. If these are good, 

 the strips may be wider than when thev are poor, for in 

 the latter case more seed is necessary to insure repro- 

 duction. No rule can be given, because every case 

 must be judged on the ground with a knowledge of 

 the reproductive habits of the species in question. In 

 general, the best results are secured when the strips are 

 not w ider than the height of the bordering trees. Seed 

 is carried to considerably greater distances, but usually 

 not in quantities sufficient for a full reproduction. In 



