to be counted on, or where the redwood trees are
small and close together, ideal conditions for a certain, rapid
and well formed second crop exist.

The thinner the original redwood stand, the greater the effort
necessary at the time of logging to obtain the required density. The
leaving of seed trees of other species, with as many as possible small
trees of both redwood and other species and the maximum protection
of all from fire, should then be the means employed. On some tracts
the proportion of redwood will not warrant this effort; on some
it is not even required. The question of whether it pays to hold
redwood land is therefore almost wholly local, but when conditions
are favorable it can be answered affirmatively, because of the
extremely rapid growth, with less doubt than of almost any other
species.

There is some tendency to over-production of sprouts by redwood
stumps. Removal of the excess with an ax, saving those closest
to the ground and not over-thinning to the extent of reducing the
density conducive to height growth and shedding of low branches,
improves the chances of those remaining.

SEEDING AND PLANTING

SEED SUPPLY

It has been shown in a previous chapter that the owner of deforested
land who desires to secure a second crop may find it necessary or
cheaper to adopt artificial measures wholly or in part instead
of depending upon natural reproduction. These measures may be of
two kinds--direct seeding, in which the seed is sown where the
trees are to stand permanently, and the planting of trees grown
in nurseries.

Whether artificial reforestation is accomplished by means of sowing
seed or planting trees, the first requisite is a supply of tree seed
of the desired species and of good quality. Unfortunately for the
timber owner who wishes to enter upon extensive seeding operations,
the business of collecting and preparing forest tree seed for market
has received but little attention from old-established seed firms,
and it is not always possible to purchase the species and quantity
desired. Moreover, the prices charged are often excessive.

In the Pacific Northwest, however, the demand for seed of Douglas
fir and Sitka spruce has led to the establishment of a considerable
trade in these species, and at reasonable prices, so that where
these species are to be used, or only small quantities of other
species, the timber owner will probably find it to his advantage
to purchase the seed rather t