The study material consists of the data collected from an experiment established on moist mineral soil in southern Finland. Naturally established Norway spruce‐dominated(Picea abiesL. Karst.) sapling stands had been treated in four different ways. The growing stock was measured at the stage of the first commercial thinning. On considering aspects of economy, biology and the worsening of the state of the environment, the best result was obtained when the sapling stand was left untreated. The second best option was a treatment according to which a certain basic growing stock consisting of some hundreds of good quality and more vigorous individuals were liberated’ from the competition, i.e. point cleaning. The cleaning‐thinning treatment of sapling stands, as practised today, was clearly less beneficial than the above treatments.