142, OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 
ling beech are rather apt to suffer from; for the 
beech requires a certain amount of shade and 
protection during its early growth. 
Under this system the total area under beech 
is divided into four main blocks, in which the 
crops vary from 0-30, 30-60, 60-90, and go-120 
years, and average 15, 45, 75, and 105 years re- 
spectively, counting from the middle of the 
period of regeneration. The natural regenera- 
tion is effected by means of three classes of fell- 
ings. First comes a ‘preparatory felling,’ when 
any other kinds of trees, such as ash, sycamore, 
or maple, growing in admixture with the beech, 
are removed. The extra light thus given to 
the beech promotes the formation of seed, and 
gradually hardens the smooth stems against sun- 
burn, while the opening up of the leaf canopy 
also favours the decomposition of the dead leaves 
and the formation of good mould within the 
next four or five years. On limy soils prepara- 
tory fellings of this sort are sometimes un- 
necessary, as the cast foliage rots sooner than on 
loams and sands, and there is more danger of 
the ground being overrun with weeds. In this 
felling only the smaller dominated stems are 
