April 2, 1883. J 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



78s 



He maintained that when a Uve branch was pruned off 

 a tree, the roots in the ground supporting that branch 

 would die. After a considerable amount of discussion, I 

 asked him to give me a satisfactory answer to one question 

 in support of his theory and I wouUl be satisfied. That 

 question was, '• Why is it that when a healthy oak tree 

 is completely cut at the surface of the ground, the roots 

 ilo not die ; whereas, on the contrary, the roots continue 

 in vigorous action, and immetUately thereafter the stool 

 produces a healthy crop of oak shoots." On hearing this, 

 instead of answering my question he was speechless, and 

 walkial otf. 



Shortly after this, I resolved to try experiments to 

 enlighten myself on this subject by sowing a few seeds 

 of the -Pituu Dour/fasii in a convenient corner in my 

 garden where I could make a daily inspection when necessary, 

 to see if I could make any satisfactory discovery relative 

 to the subject of our discussion. From these seeds I 

 reared one plant for four years till it was about three 

 feet in height. 



During the whole of that period I never allowed even 

 a bud to form on the stem of this plant. So soon as 

 one appeared it was at once rubbed off. The plant, not- 

 withstiiudiug, grew with a beautiful clean, straight stem ; 

 but, unfortimately, in the fourth year of its growth, in 

 autumn, when the hedger was engaged cutting the garden 

 hedge, he accidentally broke it over near the sm-face of 

 the ground. However, it answered my pm'pose very well. 

 I grubbed up the root carefully at once for inspection, 

 and to my agreeable surprise the root, as a whole, was 

 unusually large for a plant of its size, seeing that it 

 was never permitted to produce the semblance of a branch. 



The root was diWded into three large forked ones, 

 and each of these was matted with healthy fibrous rootlets 

 at theu* extremities. From my friend's point of argument, 

 I fully expected that this plant, which was reared branchless 

 would have no other root but the tap-root ; but I found 

 no difference in the ramification of its roots, from that 

 of young plants of the same age, having their whole 

 natural branches. 



1 shall add only one other illustration on the connection 

 subsisting between roots, branches, and stools of trees, 

 which, together with the foregoing remarks, will, I trust, 

 go far in demonstrating and confuting the opinion enter- 

 tained by certain theorists that the removal of a hve 

 branch will prove fatal to all the corresponding roots 

 supporting it. 



I have repeatedly fallen in with pine-root stools which 

 continued their vitahty for many years after the tree 

 was wholly cut down, with the face of the stool heahng 

 over from the outside as regularly round the whole stool 

 in the self same way as a wound on the trunk of a 

 tree after a branch was pruned off. In all such cases, 

 it is found that the stools had, prior to the trees being 

 cut down, roots united or naturally engrafted upon roots 

 of an adjoining tree of the same kind, which roots con- 

 tinued to draw sufficient nourishment from the standing 

 tree for the support of the stool for years after its 

 own tree was cut away. 



About ten years ago I found a larch stool in Scone "Wood 

 about ninety years of age, the tree of which was cut about 

 ten years previously. This stool was a solitary one, too 

 far apart from any larch or any other fir tree to nourish 

 it. Yet this stoo! was in hfe, and heaUng all round. I 

 got men with tools, and laid its roots bare. 



They were all far gone with decay, save one which was 

 quite fresh. I traced it to its nurse, and found it to be 

 lying across, and deeply embedded and strongly engrafted 

 iuto, a htialthy root of an adjoining ash tree. How is it 

 then, that this engi-afted root without the aid of a green 

 leaf, nom-ished the whole stool, giving circulation to the 

 sap all round, and producing the formation of sap-wood 

 and bark ? This is a question for botanists and theorists 

 to .solve. 



I shall now make a few brief remarks on oak pruning. 



Judicious pruning is a very imi>ortant branch of forestry. 

 I do not by any means hold_ that even judicious pruning 

 will, as a whole, augment the bulk of timber in a tree ; 

 but, from my experience for nearly fifty years watching 

 the results of the beneficial effects of trees for that 

 periotl under my management, I certainly hold that early 

 pruning, when followed skilfully up periodically, will have 



the effect of producing ultimately a much larger yield 

 of clean, straight, valuable timber per acre, than wovdd 

 have been the case were the trees to remain in the un- 

 pruued state. No doubt there are individual trees that 

 grow on certain soils naturally tall and straight in the 

 bole, and therefore such trees require but slight arti- 

 ficial training, but, generally speaking, with few exceptions 

 all oak trees requue skilful training, and when trees are 

 properly treated in this manner, a large number can be 

 reared per acre, which are not so likely to be blown 

 over with high gales, or have theii- limbs torn off. 



I should fancy that opponents of pruning never them- 

 selves had the experience of seeing the beneficial results 

 of systematic pruning. The benefit accruing from such 

 training is not to be obtained in a few years. An arbori- 

 cultm-ist treating a yoimg plantation in this way, and 

 following up its training, may take forty or fifty years 

 before he can see the actual residt of his operations. 



Of oaks that were pruned at Scone under my du-ections 

 some forty-five years ago, hundreds of them are at present 

 in the way of being cut up at the saw-mill for the 

 building of railway waggons, and to me it is most satisfactory 

 to fiud the timber so sound, free from blemishes, and 

 beautifid. I have seen pruning performed so barbarousiv, 

 mutilating trees in such a manner that it must have 

 proved disastrous in the highest degree ruining the con- 

 stitution of the trees, retarding their growth, and ultim- 

 ately yielding faulty timber. Such pruning should not 

 ujion any account be tolerated ; and when .such tunber 

 comes iuto the hands of tradesmen it is no wonder that 

 pruning is condemned. But the effect of judicious pruning 

 is of an opposite character. Young oak trees from the nursery 

 for planting into the forest should receive no further 

 l)runiug than the shortening of contending shoots, or any 

 individual strong side branch. ^\'hen they arrive at six 

 or seven feet iu height, they should receive a regular 

 course of training by pruning, when most of the work 

 can be performeLl by the use of the pruning knife. The 

 pruner should always begin at the top of the tree, shortening 

 rival shoots with the leader, more than half their length. 

 Strong rambling side branches should also be shortened 

 fully one-half; and when a tree is found over-studded 

 ^vith strong branches lower down the stem, some of these 

 ought to be thinned out and pruned from the stem. 

 Young trees at this stage of growth .should be so well 

 balanced and shaped, that httle or no pruning will be 

 requu-ed for several years after. In the next coiu-se of 

 pruning, the pruner ought to be pro^aded with ladder, 

 pruning-saw, prunuig- knife, and shears on handles about 

 seven feet long. 



Before ascending the tree, the pruner .shoidd examine 

 the ti-ee minutely, and see the operation that will be 

 required to balance and shape it properly. After ascending 

 he should begin at the top, shortening the rival leader, 

 if there be one, but as there is often a difficulty in 

 reaching a rival top shoot, the pruning shears will require 

 to be brought into requisition to shorten it. 



The pruner, in descending the tree, should shorten extra 

 strong branches at least half-way iu. These should always 

 be cut over, at a lateral small branch, or twig, of an 

 upright growth. Strong branches growing pretty low on 

 the bole should be shortened well in near the bole, in 

 order to throw vigour up the stem of the tree. At this 

 course of pruning a few branches ought to be pruned 

 away at bottom, close to the stem. 



Other successive courses of pruning shoulil be conducted 

 on the same system, with this addition, that more branches 

 will be required to be i^ruued close from the bole. 



The point to be studied for the safe guidance of the 

 pruner is — What is the largest size of a branch that 

 can be pruned from the bole without lea\-ing any blemish 

 in the timber ? The health and vigour of the tree is 

 the safe guide for this operation. I have seen the boles 

 of trees thirty-five to forty years of age after being 

 pruned healing at the rate of half-an-inch from each side 

 of the wound, being au inch in the year, whereas trees 

 in a less vigorous state did not heal over oue-foiu-th of 

 au inch in a year. 



Therefore the health and vigour of the ti'ce should be 

 the guide, so as not to prune a branch from the bole 

 of a tree, if the timber of the wound will in any way 



etiriorate before it heals over. Kotten branches on the 



