290 OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 
and cut out whenever they are found interfering 
with the growth of hazel and hardwoods; while 
the latter should be freed from interference by 
hazel wherever the more valuable species requires 
assistance in the individual struggle for light 
and growing-space. 
If this can be arranged for, it will always be 
an advantageous and remunerative operation to 
go over the coppice-woods during the third 
year after the fall for the purpose of cleaning 
them of all weeds (including the softwoods— 
birch, aspen, willow) interfering with hardwoods, 
and of thinning out the number of shoots spring- 
ing from the stools. If this latter operation 
be not carried out, then the energy of growth 
often becomes dissipated over about six to ten 
shoots in place of being concentrated on the 
more rapid development of from two or three 
to five or six of the more vigorous  stool- 
shoots. The day for oak-bark being highly 
remunerative is passed and gone, to the detri- 
ment of our leather prepared with tannic ex- 
tracts. But it is no difficult matter to trans- 
form coppice into copse by sowing and planting, 
or to change the system of treatment from 
