576 NATURAL HBGENBBATION BT SEED. 



tion by seed. But an essential condition for success is that the 

 species to be reproduced should be at least fairly hardy and tena- 

 cious and fructify abundantly nearly every year, and that their 

 seeds should germinate readily. If there is already some advance 

 growth on the ground, the chances of success are then completely 

 assured. In consequence of the rapidity with which the new 

 generation must make its appearance, if it is to appear at all, there 

 is the danger in mixed forest of undesirable species gaining an undue 

 predominance in the new crop. Moreover, the complete uncover- 

 ing of the ground favours the appearance and estabhshment of 

 coppice-shoots at the expense of seedling growth ; stool-shoots can 

 be prevented by grubbing out the felled trees, but there is no way 

 of keeping out root-suckers. Hence the method of cleared lines 

 is suited only for employment in pure or almost pure forests where 

 the principal species is pre-eminently gregarious. When the ad- 

 vance growth is more or less complete, this method becomes 

 nndistiuguishable from the strip method. 



SECTION III. 

 The well method. 



In this method small clearings, up to half an acre or so in ex- 

 tent, are made here and there throughout the crop to be regene- 

 rated and in this respect it is a sort of exaggerated jardinage. 

 Purely natural causes will often produce such large gaps — storms, 

 ravages of elephants, &c. As far as regeneration alone is con- 

 cerned, the conditions for success are certainly more favourable 

 here then in the method of cleared lines, since there is effec- 

 tive shelter on every side, and whichever way the wind may blow 

 or the ground slope, the area must get completely sown. But, on 

 the other hand, in regard to convenience and economy of conver- 

 sion and export and the restriction of damage caused by those 

 operations, it is so far inferior to that method, that its employment 

 as a system must be confined to those forests in which, owing to 

 the difficulty of securing natural regeneration, either because of 

 the steepness of the slopes or the extreme character of the soil and 

 climate, only small and scattered clearings can be made with 

 safety. Like the method of cleared lines, the well method can 

 yield successful results only with species that seed abundantly, 

 reproduce themselves freely, 'grow gregariously, and do not mind 

 a certain amount of smothering in the midst of a rank growth of 

 weeds. It will replace jardinage only where the drip from over- 

 hanging trees is heavy and when the seedlings require from the 



