136 THE PRINCIPLES OF HANDLING WOODLANDS 



in the form of patches cut clear, while reproduction is 

 secured naturally from the bordering trees. The portion 

 of the stand left standing may be cut under the shelter- 

 wood system, or it may be cut clear and the area planted. 

 An illustration may be taken from a case in southern 

 Europe that once came under the author's observation. 

 The forest was composed of beech and spruce. It so 

 happened that the natural reproduction of beech in that 

 district was better than that of the spruce. The use of 

 the shelterwood system would have resulted in an increase 

 of beech in the new stand. Accordingly, the first cut- 

 tings were in the form of patches, made about as wide as 

 the tree-height. Care was taken to leave abundant seed- 

 trees of spruce on the border. The light seed was read- 

 ily distributed over the area, while beech-seed is scarcelv 

 carried beyond the periphery of the crowns. Good 

 reproduction was secured on the plots, and a certain pro- 

 portion of spruce in the new crop was thus guaranteed. 

 The balance was then reproduced by the shelterwood 

 method, the beech predominating in the new repro- 

 duction. 



