THE SHELTERWOOD SYSTEM 163 



stand endangers the trees from windfall. The cuttings 

 at a given time are made in narrow strips, instead of over 

 the whole stand. Beginning on the lee side and progres- 

 sing against the wind, successive strips are worked over 

 and reproduced until the whole stand is covered. The 

 first operations are the preparatory cuttings in the first 

 strip. After a few years the second strip is taken in 

 hand, and preparatory cuttings are made about the time 

 the first strip is ready for the seed-cutting. When the 

 first strip is readv for the removal cuttings and the second 

 for the seed-cutting, a preparatory cutting is made in the 

 third strip, and so on. 



The conduct of the cuttings in this manner has cer- 

 tain advantages, as follows: 



1. Since each operation is in a narrow strip in the 

 lee of an uncut block of timber, the danger from wind- 

 fall is less than when the whole stand is opened at 

 one time. This permits the use of the shelterwood 

 svstem under conditions which would otherwise pro- 

 hibit its use. 



2. The protection from the wind gives a freer hand 

 in conducting the cuttings; in many cases, fewer opera- 

 tions in the series are required, and heavier individual 

 cuttings may be made. 



3. The side shade is beneficial, while the protection 

 from the wind lessens danger from drought. 



4. When used with species having light seed, as is 

 usually the case, there is an abundant distribution of seed 

 over a given strip from the bordering trees. This is 



