134 NATURAL HISTORY OP SCOTCH FIR. 



16 to 24 centimetres, it maybe proper to proceed to the coupe de- 

 finitive. It may be imagined that the vigorous nature of the young 

 plant renders unnecessary the coupe secondaire, and that it is necessary 

 to hasten the withdrawal of the covering which is altogether contrary 

 to its requirements. 



" In despite of the prudential measures taken to re-produce a pine 

 forest by self-sown seed, we are driven to acknowledge that it is 

 extremely rare that we meet with complete and satisfactory replen- 

 ishings in forests of this pine. To such an extent is this the case 

 that many foresters are disposed to renounce coupes d'' eiisemencement 

 ia pine forests — to make a clean sweep, and to have recourse to 

 artificial sowings, which succeed readily and well. 



" In view of the general facts, it is necessary to say that this 

 opinion is not without good foundation. Let the reserves from the 

 coupe d^ensemencement be numerous or otherwise, let the coupe de- 

 finitive be expedited or delayed, one often sees the best and most 

 complete natural re-sowings come into jeopardy at the end of some 

 years — diminish and disappear in places to such an extent as to give 

 access to the mort bois and to the bois Mane, The cause of this it 

 is rather difficult to ascertain. Some writers attribute it to insects, 

 such as the worm of the Maybug, the Pissode note, and the Hylobe, 

 which attack, the one the stems and the other the roots of the 

 young pines. Mr. Berg thinks, with reason according to my judg- 

 ment, that we must seek the cause or occasion of the evil in the 

 superficial position of the roots of the old pines, the very abundant 

 fibrous tufts of which cover and penetrate the soil in every way, 

 and absorb thus in its entirety the nutritious moisture, being 

 manifestly much more vigorous than the feeble rootlets of the 

 young plants. 



" Accepting this opinion, one is led to conclude that natural 

 replenishings have no chance of success excepting in ground pretty 

 wet and pretty deep, in which the pine, advancing in age, may extend 

 its roots to a lower depth than the layer in which the young plants 

 throw out theirs during the early years of their growth. But it is 

 well known that pine forests occupy in general the less fertile soils, 

 and thus we can account for natural replenishings being rarely satis- 

 factory and complete. 



" Were it not the important consideration of the expense of replen- 

 ishing artificially through the purchase of seed, which is deai', and 

 the expense of labour, and further, the risk run of not always pro- 

 curing good seed when it is pu rchased, one would be led, from what 



