150 THE PRINCIPLES OF HANDLING WOODLANDS 



When the stand is broken and irregular, this is impossi- 

 ble. Care is taken to leave trees capable of bearing seed, 

 at least every 50 feet. If there are no trees of the 

 moderate diameters which will serve as seed-trees, larger 

 trees, properly located, must be left. 



6. All thrifty individuals and groups of immature 

 and young trees are left standing. 



7. The trees standing over good reproduction are cut 

 freely. 



The Second Cutting. — The second cutting will prob- 

 ably take place in from 10 to 20 years. By that time 

 there should be ample reproduction over the whole 

 area and in fairly uniform distribution, under the trees as 

 well as between them. The damage to this growth in 

 taking out the trees in the final cutting will be con- 

 siderable. But the trees left standing are those with 

 moderate crowns, which will do less damage than large 

 veterans with sprawling crowns. The damage should 

 not reduce the real density of stocking in the new stand 

 over 10 per cent., because the young growth will usually 

 be denser than is necessary, and the loss of a few small 

 trees will not materially impair the development of the 

 new stand. 



Progress in the Development of the Shelterwood System 



The removal of a stand in two successive cuttings 

 represents the most primitive application of the shel- 

 terwood system. As was said, the time of making a 

 given cutting is dependent more on the conditions of 



