THE THEEE GREAT SYSTEMS OF BSGEKERATION COMPARED. 409 



Artificial RegeneraUm. NdiuraZ Regeneration hy Regeneration by Coppice. 



results in the largest pos- shorter and more knotty 

 Bible accumulation of stand- and mis-ahappen than those 

 ing produce and, therefore, of trees grown in artificially- 

 in the largest measure of raised crops. If only fire- 

 annual enjoyment, wood is wanted, then other 

 circumstances not beingpra- 

 hibitiTe, the coppice r^^me 

 is to he preferred owing to 

 the greater ripidSty' a/nd cer- 

 tainty of regeneration, the 

 early realisation of inaf tef- 

 able produce, the fadlify 

 and extreme regularity of 

 work, the lat-gte annual iif- 

 erement of prodnctioD, and 

 the very low cost. 



The preceding comparative review of the three great systems 6f 

 regeneration shows that no onei of the three can be said to be the 

 best in every case. It may happen that in 6ven one and the same 

 crop the first gives the best resnlts at one poinli, tHef second at 

 another, and the third at a third, so- that while some one of them 

 must be generally adopted, the results would be incomplete with- 

 out the supplementary help of one or both of the rest. Hence" no 

 hard and fast rule can be laid down as to when one system should 

 be employed and when another, and the best flan will alvfays be to 

 so combine any two or all three of them, as to secure to the fullest 

 extent the respective advantages offered by each, while ob- 

 viating, or at least minimising, their attendant disadvantage^. 

 We have already seen instances of such combinations under the 

 uniform method (pp. 354-356), and also in describing coppice 

 regeneration (pp. 401-3). A further instance would be the 

 partial artificial restocking, with some hardy species, of more or 

 less exposed ground under old open forest, in order to facihtate 

 natural sowing when the seed-felling falls due. For the benefit of 

 the student we may brie^- summarise &e various possible combi- 

 nations as follows : — 



I. Artificial regeneration with natural regeneration hy seed, 

 in which case the former may (i) precede or (ii) follow or (iii) be 

 simultaneous with, the latter. 



II. Artificial regeneration with coppice, of which combination 

 there will be two separate cases according as stores are or are not 

 kept. 



III. Natural regeneration hy seed with coppice. If the former 

 is the main system adopted, than coppicing is resorted to in order 

 to restore damaged seedHngs and to keep back inferior growth 



