The Prindphs of Forestry. 
355 
this is necessary, manifested by the present unsatisfactor}' con- 
dition of our existing woods and by the inadequate knowledge 
of forestry in those who own or who manage our landed estates. 
It will perhaps be best to lead up to the methods of improve- 
ment by showing in detail the defects of our present system. 
Dealing first with existing woods, perhaps the greatest defect of 
all is the too early cutting of timber trees. Home-grown timber 
is often insufficiently matured when cut, and therefore builders 
and others prefer that from the Baltic and America, because 
it is more durable. It is seldom of sufficient girth and length 
to secure the highest price, and the grain, except when the 
trees have been carefully grown, is not straight enough for the 
more important uses. 
Thinning out is often either entii-ely neglected, or, what is 
more common, often too severe and sudden. Growth on the one 
hand is weak for want of sufficient foliage to elaborate the sap, 
for only the upper branches of the trees exposed to the light 
and air bear leaves. There is an insufficiency of room for the 
proper development of root-fibre, the trees being too thick upon 
the ground. The best trees, too, are often taken instead of the 
worst, which is totally contrary to all rules of good forestry. 
When the thinning is too severe and sudden the result is 
jjremature decay, and death to many trees which have sud- 
denly been exposed to winds and weather ; storms are allowed 
to sweep through the wood and to loosen the root-hold ; large 
gaps become frequent which bear no timber and therefore no 
revenue to the owner. Young trees which spring up in the 
gaps so formed are weak and too scattered to enable the forester 
to treat them as he would a regularly arranged thicket. 
The natural pruning of conifers is not sufficiently attended 
to ; this is most important, especially when dealing with larch 
plantations. It is only by a careful study of distance that this 
can be fully secured ; because if too close canker and other 
diseases will be sure to manifest themselves ; and if too far apart 
the lateral branches will not die off, but need artificial pruning. 
To develop a full complement of timber there must be sufficient 
foliage ; this golden rule must not be forgotten. When arti- 
ficial pruning is resorted to it is generally incorrectly performed, 
and when pruning is neglected evil results are not checked in 
time. 
The signs of decay, so often manifest in old woods on trees 
apparently in full vigour, are not noticed as they might be, but 
decay is allowed to go on until the trees which have been in- 
tended for profit yield nothing at all. Young shoots and germens 
3,re destroyed in forest operations in a most careless way ; and 
