DETAILS OF THE METHOD 6l 



Decomposition of the litter can be hastened by admitting 

 through cutting more light, heat and a free circulation of air. 

 This is accomplished by the preparatory cutting^ Too rapid 

 and complete disintegration of the humus is possible and may 

 allow a growth of grass and weeds to spring up. The right 

 condition of seed bed for each species must be known and the 

 severity of the preparatory cutting governed accordingly. (See 

 Figs. 17 and 18.) 



When the mineral soil appears in spots here and there and 

 small patches of grass and herbs start, then ordinarily the 

 litter is sufficiently decomposed. 



A minor object of the preparatory cutting may be in certain 

 cases to develop windfirm trees which can safely be left iso- 

 lated in the later cuttings. This is especially necessary in 

 dense stands where the crown development of the individual 

 trees is poor. 



It requires from three to ten years to accomplish the results 

 for which the preparatory cuttings are made. 



Preparatory cuttings range in number from one to several. 

 In certain cases no preparatory cuttings at all are demanded. 

 This is apt to be the case in stands which have been syste- 

 matically thinned previous to the reproduction period. The 

 number of cuttings depends on the length of time required 

 to accomplish the purposes for which they are made and upon 

 the necessity for making openings in a given stand only 

 gradually. 



The trees cut in preparatory cuttings may be selected from 

 among five classes ; namely : 



Diseased and defective trees. 



Overtopped trees, 



Trees with over-developed and spreading crowns. 



Slender small crowned trees liable to be windthrown, and 



Those of undesirable species. 



