ARTIFICIAL REPRODUCTION 21 



7. In the case of over-mature stands of old growth timber, 

 reproduction by artificial means may be the only available 

 method, due to the valuable species in such stands having 

 ceased the production of seed. This situation will be an ex- 

 ceptional case rather than one of every day occurrence. 



A dvantages of Natural Reproduction. — i . Natural reproduc- 

 tion is Nature's method and should renew the forest with spe- 

 cies adapted to the site. It is apt to produce a mixed forest 

 which is considered less susceptible to injuries and more pro- 

 ductive than a pure forest, which is the usual kind produced 

 by artificial means.'* While the above may be true in the 

 forest undisturbed by other than natural factors it does not 

 follow that it will hold in the forest after cuttings. Should the 

 forest contain only valuable species and the cuttings not create 

 conditions unfavorable for their reproduction then Nature's 

 method may prove successful. On the other hand, it is quite 

 possible that an inferior species in pure stands may be the 

 result secured. 



As a consequence of artificial reproduction injuries by in- 

 sects and certain other agencies such as snow breakage, and 

 windfall, are unquestionably more extensive than in the mixed 

 naturally reproduced stand. 



On the whole the argument that natural reproduction is 

 Nature's method is not a particularly strong one when com- 

 paring with artificial reproduction. 



2. Natural reproduction as compared with artificial repro- 

 duction is better suited to the less intensive methods of silvi- 

 culture which must be employed for many years over the larger 

 share of the forest area. To regenerate existing forests by 

 artificial methods requires work of intensive character which 

 the country is not ready for on a big scale. 



3. Natural reproduction is cheaper on the whole than 

 artificial reproduction. On many forest areas natural repro- 



