INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN IN SCHOOL OP FORESTRY. 133 



up under the pines, be carefully preserved, but it may be well to 

 introduce towards the middle of the cycle a subsidiary tree, designed 

 to protect and to ameliorate the soil. The yoke elm, the beech, or 

 the Norwegian pine, would prove well adapted for fulfilling this 

 function. The last mentioned especially, placed in a second range, 

 gives to the growth of the pine a magnificent upward growth. 



"Fellings preparatory for a succeeding crop. — With a view to a 

 natural resowing of the soil, it is not necessary that a deep shade be 

 preserved, and, without disadvantage, the trees left standing may be 

 so dispersed that the branches of them may be from 5 to 6 metres 

 distant. 



" In selecting trees to be reserved, it is not the straightest and 

 tallest which are to be preferred ; it is more advantageous to reserve 

 those which are of a medium height and branching; such are 

 ordinarily more fertile in seed, and they better resist the winds. In 

 the actual state of the forests in Prance there" is as yet little room 

 for choice ; but it is expected that after a time, when the forests 

 shall have felt the effect of regular management, there will be found" 

 not only on the outer skirt of the forest, but over the whole area, 

 trees of a medium height loaded with branches. 



" In spacing out the trees to be reserved, precautions must be taken 

 against the havoc of the winds, and the invasion of herbs or hurtful 

 plants. The pine sends down a tap-root, and otherwise roots itself 

 firmly ; but, nevertheless, on parts very much exposed to the wind, 

 and where experience has proved that this tree with difficulty resists 

 it, it may be well to leave a pretty dense reserve. The second, in- 

 convenience is frequent in pine forests, and on some grounds almosb 

 unavoidable. It may, however, be mitigated by not making the 

 coupe d'ensemencement, or first felling, excepting when assured of an 

 early and abundant fructification, which, in the case of the pines, is 

 pretty frequent, and may be foreseen eighteen months in advance. 

 Further, in the autumn or the winter preceding the scattering of 

 the seed, it may be well to proceed to the extraction of the stumps, 

 and to till the ground in rays, or in narrow furrows, at the bottom of" 

 which it may be stopped, and shall find a mobile fresh earth favour- 

 able to the germination of it and to the growth of the young plant. 



" In the majority of cases these labours will not be unremunerative, 

 for the stumps of piues, from, the resin which can be extracted from 

 them, are a more lucrative product than are those of other trees. 



" After the coupe d'ensemencement, when the replenishing is com- 

 plete, and the young plants have attained to near the height of from 



