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THE COPPICE METHOD 



for the publicly owned forest, because of its failure to produce the 

 lumber required as an economic necessity by the community. 



Before a private owner can avail himself of the coppice 

 method and its attendant advantages, there must exist ex- 

 cellent markets for small sized forest products and valuable 

 species suited to the site and capable of reproducing by 

 sprouts. The lack of one or both of these essentials pro- 

 hibits the use of the coppice method in many cases. 



The coppice method as employed in European countries 

 has been apphed principally in the low lands adjacent to 

 rivers, where the soils were comparatively rich and moist. 

 Mountainous regions and other places where the fall frosts 

 come so early that the sprouts do not have time during the 

 short growing season to thoroughly lignify, are unsuited to 

 coppice production. 



In Germany coppice is considered adapted for use at ele- 

 vations below 800 meters. 



Abroad the rotations are very low ranging from one year 

 for willow rods for baskets, up to 5 to 1 5 years for brushwood, 

 hoop poles and vine props, and oak tanbark and rarely as 

 high as 20 to 40 years for cordwood. 



In the State Forests of France which are reproduced under 

 the coppice method,^ the areas may be classified according to 

 length of rotation as follows : 



Greeley^ states that 30 per cent of the private forests of 

 France are managed for the production of hardwood fuel on 

 20 year rotations. 



