the working scheme in coiepound copses. 241 



Example of a Selection Plan fob Standaeds for a "Working 

 Circle of Copse with Standards. 



SELECTION PLAN. 



Working Circle of the Little Woodlands, belonging to 

 THE Commune of 



The species to be grown as standards in this forest are, accord- 

 ing to their order of preference, as follow : — (i) for the production 

 of timber, the oaks, ash, aspen, and the birches ; (ii) principally for 

 the production of seedlings and the maintenance thereby of those 

 species in the underwood, beech and hornbeam ; and (iii) as an ex- 

 ceptional case, a few indviduals of any other species. 



In this forest oaks remain in a flourishing condition for a whole 

 century or for two centuries, and even longer, according to the parti 

 cular individuals of those species and the places where they stand. 

 The timber of these two trees remains sound as long as visible 

 outward decay has not set in, and a few dead branches here and there 

 in the crown do not cause any appreciable harm to the trunk. It 

 has been observed that the boles deteriorate at the core only when 

 they present to the sight large excrescences or holes, or when the 

 tops of their crowns are rendered completely leafless by age. It is 

 the marked impoverishment of the foliage and the almost complete- 

 ly arrested production and development of the annual shoots which, 

 as a rule, indicate here the maturity of these oaks. Oak trees will, 

 therefore, not be felled uutil they are mature, unless, indeed, they 

 crowd one against another too much. In this latter case, all other 

 things being equal, that tree will be reserved by preference from 

 among the rest which possesses the largest dimensions. 



The ash, which attains a large size only in the moister portions 

 of the forest, grows there vigorously and remains sound up to the 

 age of from 120 to 150 years. But whatever its age and the locality 

 in which it stands, it ceases to flourish as soonasthe heretofore rapid 

 development of its crown falls off in an appreciable degree ; the bark 



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