REPORT ON THE PRUNING OF THE BARER CONIFERS. 339 



shortening, the tar ointment already referred to should imme- 

 diately be applied. The Picea family also bear pruning badly, 

 but their habit is by nature so pyramidal and regular as to 

 render any interference, except by " disbudding," quite unneces- 

 sary. When, however, the Picea nobilis is grown from a graft 

 instead of from seed, very severe pinching when young is neces- 

 sary to obtain a good plant ; and in some cases it has been found 

 needful, after the graft had attained nearly the length of a foot, 

 to cut it back close to its junction with the stem, and confine it 

 to one bud, in order to overcome the lateral habit of the graft. 

 Pinus cembra and Pinus austriaca have iu some instances within 

 our knowledge been cut back in their sides without any damage 

 resulting to the health of the tree, but these are exceptional 

 cases. The Araucaria imbricata is another conifer which bleeds 

 exceedingly freely when cut at any season of the year, even when 

 the branch has been previously prepared by shortening, so in 

 this case the "disbudding" or "rubbing-out" process of pruning 

 is the only one that can be adopted with impunity. Fortunately 

 the instances in which interference with the habit of growth of 

 the araucaria is necessary are very rare ; and seeing that the 

 Pinus and Picea genera are so easily injured by pruning, we 

 would not recommend it to be attempted with them, except in 

 the case of " forking," or throwing up a double leader. 



When a side shoot threatens to grow vertically at the point, 

 and so contend with the proper leader in a specimen plant 

 which will not bear cutting, we have found it a good plan to 

 give the offending branch a twist downwards, so as to weaken it 

 and induce it to grow laterally, or to hang a weight to it with a 

 piece of cord ; and if of a confirmed and obstinate tendency, it is 

 advisable to have the shoot pegged back by means of a crooked 

 stick, which may be fastened either to the stem or to a lower 

 branch. In this position it should be retained for several 

 months, until the vertical tendency has been quite overcome. 



Conifers grown on poor soils and in cold exposed situations 

 require but little pruning, and it should be carefully and spar- 

 ingly administered in such circumstances. Most of the branches 

 should be left, unless the trees are so thickly planted as to cause 

 interlacing, and even then thinning out the trees will be found 

 more advantageous than pruning. In wet, damp, heavy soils, and 

 in sheltered or confined situations, on the other hand, pruning will 

 be found quite indispensable for promoting the freer circulation 

 of air, and for assisting the trunk of the tree to secure a fuller 

 share of nourishment by the removal of superfluous branches, and 

 thereby preventing the close " drawn-up" habit which trees in 

 such localities are apt to assume. 



It must be always borne in mind, however, in pruning a 

 conifer, especially the newer and more recently introduced varie- 



