64 THE SHELTERWOOD METHOD 



The trees selected for removal in the seed cutting are of the 

 same general classes as those taken in the preparatory cuttings. 

 Should it be necessary to take out more trees than those kinds 

 designated for removal in preparatory cuttings the poorer 

 individuals in the co-dominant and dominant classes are cut. 



The severity of the seed cutting is governed by the distance 

 to which seed may be distributed and by the amount of shade 

 which it is necessary to maintain in order to assist germina- 

 tion and to protect seedlings from drought, frost and rank 

 growths of grass and herbs. In as much as the balance of 

 the stand must be removed after reproduction is started and 

 with considerable injury to the latter, it is advantageous to 

 take off as much of the old stand as possible in the seed cut- 

 ting. The amount removed should range from 25 to 50 

 per cent of the volume of the original stand before preparatory 

 cuttings were begun. 



It is not necessary that the distribution of the trees left be 

 absolutely uniform, although reasonable uniformity is at- 

 tempted. In fact an uneven distribution, provided the open 

 areas among the old timber are kept small, may not be un- 

 favorable to the seedlings in their competition with the older 

 trees for soil moisture. In the seed cutting advantage is 

 taken of all groups of advance growth, which may have 

 started accidentally or as an unlooked for result of the pre- 

 paratory cuttings. Over such groups the seed cutting is 

 heavy and may even remove all the old timber. Usually 

 three to five years elapse before the seed cutting is followed 

 by a removal cutting. 



Removal Cuttings. — Removal cuttings have as their object 

 the gradual uncovering of the new crop which finally is given 

 complete possession of the area. There may be one or 

 (usually) several removal cuttings, the last of which is called 

 the final cutting. The severity of the removal cuttings and 



