FORESTRY FOR SOUTHERN >'EW ENGLAND. 17 



of this period, however. maDv youug trees would have been suppressed 

 or spoiled. This could be avoided by shortening the period and get- 

 ting the old timber all cleared off in about ten years, as alread}" 

 described. This hurting of the new growth by letting the old trees 

 stand too long is one of the sacrifices the owner must make if he 

 chooses to keep the old trees so long for the sake of their beauty, but 

 in adopting either method he gradually transforms and greatly im- 

 proves the character of his woods. 



METHODS OF SEEDLING REPRODUCTION AFTER CLEAR CUTTING. 



In some cases the methods of cutting for seedling reproduction 

 described in the previous pages would not be successful. For exam- 

 ple, the system of successive thinnings would not be practicable with 

 very tall, slim trees, which would be liable to windfall when thinned 

 out. To be sure it would be possible under this system to make a 

 number of very light thinnings at frequent intervals, in order to accus- 

 tom the trees gradually to the more open positions which they must 

 occupy during the progress of the reproduction underneath: but in 

 most instances it would not pay to make numerous thinnings in this 

 way. Therefore some method of reproduction cutting must be used 

 by which the woods may be cut practically clear at one cutting. 



A still more common case in which a method of clear cutting must 

 be used is where the seed of the desired species can not germinate or 

 the seedlings live under the shade of the older trees. Reference has 

 already been made to the fact that only a few small pine seedlings are 

 found in groves of older pines, if the stand is at all dense. They are, 

 however, often abundant in gaps and on the edges of the woods. This 

 indicates that clearings must be made for good reproduction of White 

 Pine. One method of reproducing Pine under these circumstances is 

 to make a clear cutting, with the exception of judiciously located seed 

 trees, left singly or in groups. If the seed trees are large and have 

 full crowns, which is necessary for the production of ample seed, and 

 are evenly distributed, five trees per acre should furnish fairly good 

 results. A larger number of seed trees will render abundant repro- 

 duction still more certain. This may be conveniently called the ''Scat- 

 tered Seed Tree Method." 



Another method is to leave a still larger number of medium-sized 

 trees instead of a few large ones. Thus, if a 60-year-old forest of 

 White Pine is to be cut and reproduced, 20 to 25 trees of medium size 

 maybe left standing. They will then serve to furnish seed for repro- 

 duction, and are also useful in affording shade for the seedlino-s and in 

 preventing excessive drying of the soil. Moreover, they will grow 

 very large, living as they do through two generations and enjoying 

 for many years full light for their crowns. Of course such trees must 

 be healthy and wind firm. The trees might be prepared to withstand 

 22472— No. 42—0.3 2 



