30 BULLETIN" 11, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
Methods of Cutting. 
There are three general methods of cutting loblolly-pine forests to 
provide for the proper seeding of the area cut: (1) Clean cutting 
except for scattered individuals or groups of loblolly-pine seed trees : 
(2) clean cutting in strips or patches ; (3) successive thinning method. 
The two last methods are adapted chiefly to pure or nearly pure stands 
of loblolly, while the first is suitable to all types and mixtures in which 
the species occurs. 
SCATTERED SEED TREES AXD SCATTERED GROUPS. 
The scattered seed-tree method consists in clean cutting every- 
thing except from 4 to 10 loblolly pine seed trees per acre, left evenly 
distributed over the area to be reproduced. This is the simplest 
method and the one usually to be recommended, as it is adaptable to 
both pure stands and to loblolly in mixture with other species. The 
cutting should preferably be made when it is seen that there will be a 
good seed year. The number of seed trees- which should be left varies 
with their height; if over 70 feet tall, from 4 to 7 trees per acre will 
be sufficient; if under 70 feet tall a larger number will be necessary. 
Tress which will produce the most seed should be left, i. e., trees with 
the largest crowns, which are also the most windfirm. Whenever 
there is much danger from windfall it will be best to leave scattered 
groups of from 3 to 9 trees. Seed trees or groups should be left to 
grow for another rotation, or taken out when an improvement thin- 
ning is made in the new stand. In case of mixed stands it is important 
to cut clean all trees of other species and to leave only loblolly seed 
trees. 
CLEAN CUTTING IN STRIPS AXD PATCHES. 
These methods consist in clean cutting in strips from 100 to 150 
feet wide, or clean cutting patches from 100 to 300 feet across, to be 
seeded from the adjacent or surrounding forest which remains intact 
until the area is reproduced. This method is best a« pted to pure 
or nearly pure stands, and in any case a large proportion of the 
dominant trees along the edge of the adjacent uncut stand should be 
loblolly pine. Especial care should be taken to leave the forest intact 
on the side from which the prevailing fall and winter winds blow, in 
order to insure dissemination of the seed over the area cut. The 
cutting should preferably be made when it is seen that there will be a 
good seed year. The width of the strips should not exceed twice the 
height of the trees in the adjacent uncut forest, while the width of 
ciean-cut patches can be somewhat greater. 
Not over two-thirds of the area of the forest should be contained 
in the strips or patches cut, and preferably not more than half; in the 
