crop of other species. This is of peculiar and early importance,
for it usually also decides the question of protecting the slashing
from fire.

If the present stand is nearly pure fir, or if other species are
represented almost wholly by merchantable trees, there will be no
young growth worth saving. A new crop must be started from seed, and
since fir is the quickest and easiest to grow, as well as probably
the most valuable, it should be given every encouragement.

_Slash Burning and Its Exceptions._

In most cases this requires burning the ground after logging, not
only to reduce the future fire risk but also to provide a suitable
seedbed. Fir much prefers mineral soil to start in, as is easily
seen from the far greater frequency of seedlings on road grades
than on adjacent undisturbed ground covered with humus and rotten
wood. Hemlock has no such fastidiousness, even preferring rotten
wood as a seedbed. To protect the slashing from fire, therefore,
both preserves the most unfavorable conditions for fir and subjects
it to unnecessary competition by its rival. Hemlock seedlings already
established, seeds lying on the ground, and surrounding or surviving
trees which may scatter more seed, are all encouraged to shade and
stifle the struggling fir seedlings already handicapped by dislike
for their situation.

On the other hand, a large proportion of what we now consider typically
fir forest has a vigorous ground cover of hemlock and cedar which may
become merchantable many years before an entirely new fir crop can be
grown. The presumably greater value of the latter may be consumed by