248 COMPLEMENTAEY WOEK IN THE ORGANISATION OF COPSES 



topped by birch, it is enough to lop off a few of the lower branches 

 of the younger individuals of the latter species. Later on, the 

 crowns of the birch, which have a tendency to spread out rapidly, 

 may be completely isolated, with the oak standing out between. 



The stool regrowth of the hardwoods is much more injurious 

 to seedlings under them, these seedlings rapidly dying off and com- 

 pletely disappearing under the action of the low cover it forms. 

 Hence it is to this regrowth that the cleaning operations properly 

 so called, the object of which is to save the seedlings of the valua- 

 ble species, should be directed while the copse is still quite young. 

 But it is obvious that these Cleanings require a light and skilful hand 

 Thus it is only a few branches that have to be broken off or have their 

 ends twisted or cut off, care being taken not to injure the under- 

 wood in any way. Again, the seedlings to be saved must be chosen 

 from among the largest and most vigorous ones, and their number 

 must be limited, so that they may not be too close together and may 

 be situated only at such points, as where they could afterwards be 

 utilised as standards. Executed in this spirit, the cleaning opera- 

 tions will be confined to a small number of isolated points and will 

 be undertaken in the interests of only a single seedling at any one 

 of them. 



In copses with standards, even more so than in high forest, 

 the work of cleaning belongs chiefly and peculiarly to the guard in 

 charge of the beat. There is little to be done, but that little can- 

 not be done in a single operation. The copse is continually grow- 

 ing up with great rapidity, and if any useful results are to be 

 secured, the cleaning operation over each seedling must be repeated 

 over and over again. In other words, there is something of this 

 work to be done every day, and this something the moment it be- 

 comes necessary. Now no one can be better adapted for it than 

 the resident guard. The Organisation Project may with advantage 

 contain prescriptions respecting the execution of the Cleanings ; it 

 may fix the years in which those Operations ought to be carried out 

 in each coupe and explain exactly what they require to be done. But 

 nothing can assure complete success except unremitting attention on 

 the part of the Forest Officer charged with the work and adequate 



