The forester, therefore, watches first the conditions of his soil cover, and his next care is for the condition of the overhead shade, the "crown cover;" for a change in the condition of the latter brings change into his soil conditions, and, inversely, from the changes in the plant cover of the soil he judges whether he may or may not change the light conditions. The changes of the soil cover teach him more often when "to let alone" than when to go on with his operations of thinning out; that is to say, he can rarely stop short of that condition which is most favorable. Hence the improvement cuttings must be made with caution and only very gradually, so that no deterioration of the soil conditions be invited. We have repeated this injunction again and again, because all success in the management of future wood crops depends upon the care bestowed upon the maintenance of favorable soil conditions. As the object of this weeding is not only to remove the undesirable kinds from the present crop, but to prevent as much as possible their reappearance in subsequent crops, it maybe advisable to cut such kinds as sprout readily from the stump in summer time--June or July--when the stumps are, likely to die without sprouting. It may take several years' cutting to bring the composition of the main crop into such a condition as to satisfy us. METHODS OF REPRODUCING THE WOOD CROP. Then comes the period of utilizing the main crop. As we propose to keep the wood lot as such, and desire to reproduce a satisfactory wood crop in place of the old one, this latter must be cut always with a view to that reproduction. There are various methods pursued for this purpose in large forestry operations which are not practicable on small areas, especially when these are expected to yield only small amounts of timber, and these little by little as required. It is possible, to be sure, to cut the entire crop and replant a new one, or else to use the ax skillfully and bring about a natural reproduction in a few years; but we want in the present case to lengthen out the period during which the old crop is cut, and hence must resort to other methods. There are three methods practicable. We may clear narrow strips or bands entirely, expecting the neighboring growth to furnish the seed for covering the strip with a new crop--"the strip method;" or we can take out single trees here and there, relying again on an after growth from seed shed by the surrounding trees--the "selection method;" or, finally, instead of single trees, we may cut entire groups of trees hero and there in the same manner, the gaps to be filled, as in the other cases, with a young crop from the seed of the surrounding trees, and this we may call the "group method."