The Diverse Uses of Forests

Neither the professional forester nor the country planner haveyet grasped the truth that forests are for the health, wealth,and happiness of the human race. This truth is considered inrelation to the New Forest and to other forests near the bigtowns, and it is shown that it is only the live, properly managedforest that can fulfil its purpose permanently in all threerespects.     

HILL LAND: A STUDY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENTS

The need for the Forestry Commission to slow down its programmebecause of land shortage coincides with anxieties from the agriculturaland social aspects about retrogression in large areas of uplandgrazings. The proper integration of forestry and agriculturein these marginal farming zones has been urged and this paperdiscusses the possible development of this theme. Land-use fromeither economic or social aspects must no longer be a matterfor decision primarily by professional agriculturalists. Thereare wider implications wherein the forester must have equalsay on land-use councils.     

Leaf surface expansion on the main axes of white and red clovers

Plants of white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) cv. Blanca and red clover ( T. pratense L.) cv. Hungaropoly were grown singly in controlled environments. The effects of eight treatments on the two species were examined: 16- and 8-h photo-periods × 20/15 and 15/10°C day/night temperatures × Rhizobium-free plants receiving nitrate N and inoculated plants receiving no combined N. Twice weekly measurements of the main axis leaf size, petiole length, rate of leaf production and the time period between the appearance of a leaf and its final size were carried out for 8 weeks after sowing.
Increasing the day/night temperature from 15/10 to 20/15°C, or doubling the daylength from 8 to 16 h (doubling the daylength increased temperature by 1·2°C) accelerated the rate of leaf production and expansion and increased petiole length and the final area of leaves. Most aspects of main axis leaf growth were reduced in the inoculated plants dependent on their own N fixation compared with the nodule-free plants receiving abundant nitrate N. The results suggest that the temperature above which white clover exhibits appreciable leaf growth in the field could be relatively high compared with grasses. Further research is required to define these differences and relate them to seasonal changes in the environment.     

Silvicultural Problems of the Second Generation

There is no strict comparison with the regeneration of continentalforests. The second generation may give more trouble than thelater ones as the soil and emergent vegetation will not havefully developed into a true forest complex and we must try andguide the structure of the forest crop during the latter partof its existence to create as favourable a locus as possiblefor the establishment of its successor. Drainage, wind-blow, amenity, thinning r?gime, modern devicesand machinery for the reduction of brambles and of lop and top,and prevention of damage by Fomes are considered. The need in commercial forestry to confine planting to a fewmain species, most of which are more readily established infull overhead light, points to the advantage of simplificationrather than complication in management.