84 



all in the shade of other forest trees. For the same reason natural reproduction (in 

 forests) is very difficult, and not attempted here. As a tree affijrding some shade to other 

 trees which require it, the Scotch fir is well suited. If sown or planted very close, early 

 attention to thinning out also is necessary, as plants early stunted never fully recover 

 their strength. The soil not being rich, the trees are not allowed to grow older than sixty 

 to eighty years, this being the age at which the comparative yield of wood is best. Spruce 

 is planted in small numbers with the Scotch fir, and even where the soil is not good 

 enough for it to grow up into large trees with the fir, it becomes beneficial by the cover 

 of its dense foliage, which facilitates decomposition of the soil, and keeps it moister and 

 cooler than the fir alone could do. 



It will, perhaps, be as well here to give Mr. Mann's very lucid description of beech, 

 culture : — 



Seed beds for beech are prepared in the ordinary way, and the seed is sown in 

 autumn as well as in spring. If the former time is preferred, care has to be taken that 

 the seed does not germinate too early, so as to be exposed to spring frosts. This is pre- 

 vented by covering over the beds after the surface gets slightly frozen, and by removing 

 the covering in spring so late that the young seedlings have nothing more to fear from 

 the frost. If sown in spring, the seed has to be carefully stored during the winter. 

 Steaming, as well as excessive drying, must be guarded against. The first is avoided by 

 turning over the seed or even keeping it spread out ; the second by slightly watering it 

 and turning it over afterwards, so as to distribute the moisture equally. A cool, moist 

 room on the ground floor is preferable to a warm and dry one. 



From the seed beds the plants are either removed at once into the forest, or into 

 other nurseries for transplanting and keeping until they reach a height of three or four 

 feet. If they are to be planted in' open ground, without the protection of old trees, they 

 are sometimes kept in the nursery until they reach a height of ten or twelve feet, which 

 however is a very expensive measure. In this care is taken that the young shoots are 

 not removed from the stem, as the bark of the beech is very easily burnt by the sun, and 

 otherwise apt to be damaged by the weather. Unnecessary exposure of the roots of the 

 young beech is carefully avoided, as they are very sensitive, and demand special care 

 during the removal of the plants. Where it can be done some of the soil is left on the 

 roots for the same reason. 



Ordinarily the beech forest trees get re-established by natural production, i. e., the 

 shedding of seed from old trees. When the beech gets mixed with other kinds, as in the 

 coppice with standard, its regeneration is furthered or checked according to circum- 

 stances, but planting is seldom resorted to. 



In the pure, high forests of beech the natural reproduction is brought about by 

 gradual and well-considered fellings, which tend to effect this as completely as possible. 

 In hilly or mountainous localities fellings are commenced at the top of the hill. These 

 fellings take place when the trees have reached maturity, and are three to four in number, 

 and distinguished according to the immediate effect they are intended to have on the 

 forest. 



The first felling, called in Germany the preparatory cutting, is intended to facilitate 

 the decomposition of the dry leaves and branches which cover the surface, and thus pre- 



