SELECTION METHOD 91 



Age of trees on any one acre: old, middle age and young, i. e., 

 "many" or "all age'' stands. 



Rotation, or age at which ripe timber is cut: Determined by 

 size, i. e., diameter limit. 



Cutting: Stand is cut over every ten or twenty years, i. e., the 

 Period of Return is ten, or twenty years. 



The cut takes out large or ripe timber (harvest). 



It takes defective or poor timber (improvement cut). 



It takes out thinnings, and also provides for or stimulates re- 

 production. 



The cut rarely takes over }/ of total volume of stand and puts 

 woods in shape for next ten or twenty years. 



Reproduction : This is natural Reproduction from seed ; in 

 hardwoods also from sprouts (]3asswood, etc.). 



Result: A Selection Forest where trees of all ages and sizes 

 occupy the same forty-acre lot, and furnish a great variety of sizes 

 at any time from a small area. 



Advantage: Keeps a forest cover, protects young stuff against 

 sun, wind and frost ; protects soil against drying out and erosion. 

 It gives a variety of sizes on a small area of land ; and reproduces 

 itself without expense. 



Disadvantages: Costs more to log; much injury to young 

 stuff by logging ; produces less timber ; is irregular and difficult to 

 control and therefore apt to be overcut or undercut. 



Applicability: To all species and sites, it merely follows 

 nature's methods. For good business it should be restricted to 

 tolerant species and especially mixed forest. 



In Use or Operation: Probably the oldest method, formerly 

 much used abroad ; today 7% of all German forests are Selection 

 Forests, and only about 2% of State Forest are in this form. 



In the United States this method is used in the woodlot and of 

 late has been introduced in parts of National forests. It is the 

 proper method in all rough mountain country, in "protective' forest, 

 and is well suited for a beginning in forestry in most of our large 

 wild woods districts. It is nature's method in our forests of hard- 

 woods, and mixed stands, but is not the natural form everywhere, 

 as is often claimed. In forests of intolerants, pure stands of hard 



