ARBORICULTURE. 377 



particular trees connected with ornamental effects it is well worth 

 the trouble. 



Foreshortening pruning (c) is the only one that can be usefully 

 practised in reducing the size of lateral branches. When these 

 become too crowded, or when particular ones assume a dispro- 

 portionate vigor of growth and increase, it is highly useful to 

 reduce the number or size of such over-luxuriant branches. The 

 chief point to be attended to in the operation is that of dividing 

 the branch at a point from whence a healthy secondary branchlet 

 springs, that it may become the leader to that branch. When 

 the shoot is of one year's growth only, and has no lateral shoots, 

 as in stone fruits trained on walls, the division is made near to a 

 strong healthy bud, which will become the conducting shoot. 



For young forest trees which require the branches to be 

 regulated and balanced, so that one side may not have a 

 disproportionate number or weight of branches to the other, and 

 for trees in hedge rows whose lateral branches extend too far on 

 either side, injuring the quick fence or the crops of the field, 

 foreshortening is the most useful mode of pruning. 



For non-reproductive trees, such as all the different species 

 of the pine or fir tribe, this mode of pruning is improper, 

 as the branch thus shortened does not produce a second 

 shoot, but remains with all the objectionable properties of a snag, 

 to the great injury, in time, of the quality of the timber. Where 

 the purposes of evergreen masks, near the ground, in the margins 

 of plantations are desirable, the foreshortening of the leading 

 shoots of spruce firs, etc., is highly useful, as these trees do not 

 afterwards increase in height, but only extend laterally by thin 

 side branches. 



j . ff The most effectual pruning 



^ instruments are a strong knife, 



~b hook, saw and chisel. For 



pruning elevated branches a small 



saw firmly fixed to a long handle 



is highly useful (Plate 113, a) ; a chisel, likewise furnished with 



a long handle (6), and driven by a hand mallet, is very effective 



48 



