COMPLEMENTAEY WOEK IN THE ORGANISATION OP COPSES. 25 1 



ia simple copses. The Organisation Project ought to consider and ' 

 prescribe such works, so as to guarantee their proper, timely, and ' 

 methodical execution. When a forest contains numerous blanks, it * 

 may be found advantageous to wait and have them restocked 

 naturally by preserving on their edges, during a whole Rotation, a 

 belt of copse from 35 to 50 feet broad, instead of clean-felling with- 

 out any reservation the underwood of all the coupes. With tall 

 surrounding belts of copse such as these, the area of the blanks 

 must necessarily grow more and more contracted, and iu nearly every 

 Case end by becoming completely resown, thanks solely to the long- 

 continued influence of the shade afforded by those belts, of the 

 consequent moistness of the soil, and of the shelter and seed furnish- 

 ed by them. 



The Organisation Project should prescribe the Thinnings that 

 must be made every ten or twelve years in these broad conserved 

 belts. If the blanks cover more than eight or ten acres, the Am^na- 

 giate may, while not omitting to recommend the preservation of 

 such' belts, enjoin their being artificially restocked with trees of 

 rapid growth, such as pines, or birch, or alder, according to the pre- 

 vailing soil. Under the light cover of those species the oak will 

 make its appearance unassisted ; but that is no reason why the 

 Organisation Project should not discuss and lay down the various 

 operations that may be required in the crops thus raised. As re- 

 gards the reintroduction or augmentation, in the midst of the under- 

 wood, of any valuable species, it is, as a rule, scarcely possible to 

 obtain it successfully except by means of a judiciously chosen Rota- 

 tion and a well-constituted reserve, and with the aid of Improve- 

 ment Cuttings (Thinniijgs and Cleanings). Planting in the midst 

 of underwood standing on stools usually entails a heavy outlay 

 without any compensating advantage. 



Draining is still more rarely called for than any of the prece- 

 ding operations. It is required only in water-logged soils, where 

 excess of moisture is hurtful simply because it is due to the water 

 being stagnant; but bogs seldom occur except in mere patches, and 

 their draining would cost more than the game is worth. As regards 

 open drains cut through wet land, in which the water is perpetual- 



