A Manual of Forestry (Volume 1-2) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II. FORMATION OF WOODS. The formation of a wood comprises all sylvicultural measures having for their object the production of a new crop of trees. Such a crop can spring up from seed, slips, layers, pieces of roots, or from stool shoots and root suckers. In some cases the formation of a new crop is the result of the spontaneous action of nature, in which case the forester speaks of natural formation or regeneration, in others the seed or seedlings are brought on to the land by the action of man, when the process is called artificial formation. A further distinction must be made as regards the special kind of material employed for the formation of a wood. Again, two or more methods of formation may be combined. Finally, a wood may be composed of a mixture of two or more species. Accordingly, the matter to be dealt with in this chapter has been arranged under the following sections: --I. Artificial formation, or sowing and planting. II. Natural regeneration through seed, shoots and suckers. III. Choice of method of formation. IV. Formation of mixed woods. Section I.--Artificial Formation Of Woods. A. Direct Sowing. Under "direct sowing" is understood the formation of a wood by the sowing of seed directly on the area which it is proposed to stock. This can be done in various ways. Whatever the chosen method may be, its success depends on considerations which hold good, more or less, for all; hence, the general conditions of success must be dealt with, before a description of the different methods of sowing can be given. I. CONDITIONS OF SUCCESS. 1. Choice of Species. The considerations which guide the forester in the selection of the species to be grown are given in Chapter I. In this place attention will be drawn to the fact, that under the system o...