642 Forestry Congress at Brussels. [nov., 



mine the system most favourable to the growth of beech. 

 These have been divided into seven lots, as follows: — 



(1) Check plot. 



(2) Light thinning, removing only the trees which are 

 entirely dominated or dying. (Fifth class.) 



(3) Moderate thinning, removing the dominated trees and 

 the whips which are reaching up to the crowns of the 

 dominants. (Fourth and fifth classes.) 



(4) Moderate thinning, leaving the dominated trees, but 

 removing the whips. (Fourth class.) 



(5) Heavy thinning, cutting out the dominant and also the 

 smaller dominated trees. (Third, fourth, and fifth classes.) 



(6) Heavy thinning, cutting out the dominant, but leaving 

 the smaller dominated trees. 



(7) Special thinning, cutting out only those trees interfer- 

 ing with the trees which are to form the final crop. 



In another part of the forest experiments are being carried 

 on in a 67-year old wood, to determine the effect of fertilisers 

 on the growth of beech. In some cases the humus layer has 

 been removed, in others the leaves turned into the soil, and 

 in yet others applications made of basic phosphate and kainit. 

 No results have yet been obtained. The result of an interest- 

 ing experiment to show the use of harrowing the ground, 

 beneath beech to produce a crop of seedlings was shown. 

 On one plot the ground beneath a 119-year old crop had been 

 harrowed with a Danish type of rotary harrow two years 

 previously, and on another the soil had been left in its 

 natural condition. Whereas in the former case there was 

 a dense crop of seedlings on the ground, in the latter they 

 appeared only in small numbers here and there. The addition 

 of lime to the soil seemed to have little or no effect in improv- 

 ing the germination. 



An interesting experiment is also being carried out on 

 an area which had been clear-cut and allowed to lie exposed 

 to wind and sun, so that the soil had deteriorated. 



The method of establishing a new plantation has been to 

 bring in oak, ash and sycamore in conjunction with fast- 

 growing species, such as grey alder. The plantation was 

 made in 1906, so that it is too early yet to judge of the success 

 of the method. Two points of interest to the British forester 



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