DETAILS OF THE METHOD 115 



surfaces, the fibers being torn instead of smoothly cut as with 

 an axe. When a stump is small, as is the case under a low 

 rotation, it may be entirely calloused over and the entrance 

 of rot before this is accomplished may be prevented by a 

 smooth cut stump. 



Since sprouting ability decreases with age and is at its best 

 during the first few decades of a stand's life, it follows that 

 rotations for the coppice method of reproduction should be 

 short. How short will depend principally upon the inher- 

 ent sprouting ability of the species, together with its rate 

 of growth and the age at which salable products can be 

 obtained.* 



If vigorous sprouting alone were to be considered, rotations 

 less than 10 years in length would be desirable. This is much 

 too short to be generally possible, because the products grown 

 would be of small size and salable only under the most in- 

 tensive market conditions. By extending the rotation to 40 

 years a good yield of cordwood can be secured. 



While this is more profitable than the brushwood produced 

 on a rotation of less than 10 years, it is stUl an inferior 

 product and often unprofitable. In order to secure lumber 

 a rotation of 60 to 100 years will be found necessary, with 

 most of the species which can be reproduced by sprouts. 



When a very short rotation (less than 10 years) is used, 

 reproduction should be fully stocked and vigorous. With a 

 40 year rotation there may still be satisfactory sprout repro- 

 duction, but with 60 to 100 year rotation sprouts cannot be 

 counted on to establish a fully stocked stand. Even though 

 all the stumps of the trees in the old stand should sprout, the 

 stocking would be incomplete because these old trees were 

 too few in niunber and stood too far apart to reproduce the 

 area completely by sprouts. 



When the rotation is lengthened to 40 or more years it 



