484 



The Country Gentleman's Magazine 



branches, because I observe, in the extract 

 which you forwarded to me, that the referees 

 state that when a process such as I have 

 described takes place at the base of a decay- 

 ing branch, the ' defective spot is detected ' 

 Avhen the tree is ultimately opened ; whereas 

 the fact is, that in oak trees grown in coppices, 

 like those to which I have referred, and upon 

 ;soils adapted to their growth, no spot or 

 indication whatever is found in the stems of 

 rthe loss of branches which have fallen from 

 Tiatural decay during the early periods of the 

 growth of trees. 



"In the second stage of growing timber 

 the process is much the same. The bough 

 being larger, the decay is much more gradual ; 

 but if the dying boughs are left entirely to 

 themselves they will drop off without injury 

 to the trees, and, with few exceptions, with- 

 out leaving a trace in the bole ; whereas, if 

 they are cut off, the sap-wood closes over the 

 -dead stump, and the trees become defective, 

 -and to a greater extent than in the first stage. 

 The effect of closing or sealing up the stump 

 appears to be to cause rapid decay ; whereas, 

 if left to nature, the tree appears to close 

 tightly with new wood round the base of the 

 bough, so as to force off, by slow degrees, the 

 decaying limb. 



" In the above two stages of the tree's 

 growth, the dead boughs do not always in- 

 dicate that the tree is not in a thriving state, 

 but rather that it is casting such boughs as 

 are not necessary for the maintenance of the 

 plant in a healthy and profitable state. But 

 in the third stage, in the case of matured 

 timber, dead boughs or horns indicate that 

 the tree is ripe and fit to be cut, and after the 

 tree has many such horns it seldom makes 

 rapid growth, although this will depend much 

 upon the nature of the soil, as a tree upon the 

 best oak-growing soils will for many years 

 •continue to grow and remain sound long after 

 the horns shew themselves ; but upon inferior 

 soils the decay of the butt commences soon 

 after the tree has many dead boughs upon 

 its top." 



He next discusses some collateral questions 

 as to the time when the tree should be cut 

 down, how long it is safe to leave it after 



snags appear, &c., which we need not consider 

 here, as they do not directly bear on the 

 subject of pruning. We may merely quote 

 one sentence which incidentally alludes to the 

 process by which decay is hastened or 

 retarded : — "It does not follow, because the 

 occurrence of these boughs is one of the first 

 symptoms of maturity and of the commence- 

 ment of decline, that a dead bough will 

 necessarily, under such circumstances, injure 

 a tree if suffered to remain ; on the contrary, 

 it is found that the sap-wood tightens round 

 the base of the bough, and prevents the en- 

 trance of water into the tree ; but if the bough 

 is cut off, the tree has not at this period 

 sufficient power to cover the vacant space 

 with fresh sap-wood, and the space speedily 

 becomes a hole in which the rain lodges, and 

 passes thence into the very heart of the tree, 

 causing decay to proceed at a very rapid rate." 

 These are Mr Glutton's views. Let us now 

 see what are those of the 29 timber mer- 

 chants, sawyers, and timber managers con- 

 sulted. 



The queries put to these gentlemen were 

 the following, viz. : — " i. Is it necessary for 

 the proper and sound growth of an oak tree 

 that it should be pruned at any period of its 

 growth, either of live or dead boughs ? 



"2. Is it expedient that dead boughs 

 should be pruned from growing oak trees, or 

 is the sound growth of a tree best promoted 

 by allowing nature to prune off such boughs 

 as in due course become unnecessary for the 

 support of the tree ? 



" 3. What should be the effect upon the 

 soundness of matured timber, if the large 

 dead boughs or horns (as they are provincially 

 called) are cut off", so that the dead stump 

 may be covered with new sap-wood ? 



"4. Is it expedient for the sound growth 

 of oak timber that any boughs should be snag- 

 pruned ; and if, in your opinion, snag-pruning 

 is injurious to the sound growth of the timber, 

 should the boughs so having been snag- 

 pruned at any subsequent period be cut close 

 to the trunk, so that the sap-wood may grow 

 over and cover the dead stump ? 



" 5. In replying to these questions, it is 

 expected that the experience of the person in 



