634 SHOULD CONIFEROUS TREES BE PRUNED? [Feb. 



^Yho object to doing so on the ground that it is totally unnecessary ; 

 that the finest timber imported from the natural forests of northern 

 Europe and America had never been pruned in any way. They 

 forget, however, that the circumstances that exist in our artificial 

 plantations are totally different to those of the dense primeval 

 forests whence our imported timbers come. The great density of 

 growtli and the larger degree of humidity that obtains in the natural 

 forest, leading to more rapid decomposition of dead organisms and 

 the constant play and movement of animal life, all tend to clear 

 away the dead branches before they are absorbed to any injurious 

 extent in the increasing growth of the stem. In any case the 

 advantage of removing the dead branches from the stems of trees in 

 our plantations is so self-evident that it is idle to dwell on the 

 subject at length. When a limb has lost its functions it can be of 

 no further use to the tree, therefore it should be removed. The 

 health of the tree is certain to be impaired and the quality of the 

 timber depreciated by leaving dead branches to become absorbed by 

 every increasing ring of wood added to the girth of the stem. 



When coniferous trees are planted at wdde distances apart, as in 

 pinetums, where they are to become perfect specimens of their 

 kind, closer attention will be necessary in their management as 

 regards pruning. Being more exposed, they are more liable to 

 injury by wind and other causes. It is also desirable that their 

 natural symmetry should be developed and preserved to the fullest 

 perfection. This is the sole object of planting such collections ; 

 timber or utility is not considered in connection with the pinetum. 

 But the pruning of conifera? in this case is an operation requiring 

 considerable knowledge of the habit of growth of the various species 

 and varieties composing the collection. The loss of a leader at any 

 time must be noted, and steps taken to repair it as early as possible. 

 Generally speaking, when this occurs in individuals of the pine and 

 -fir tribes, it is caused by wind or even by a bird alighting on the 

 leader when it is young and brittle. Tv.'O or more shoots may start 

 in competition for the leading place, and the operator must choose 

 which is the most promising. The others should be foreshortened, 

 and that selected should be tied up in position so as to continue 

 the straight line of the stem. Very frequently it may be found 

 that the lateral branches may get out of balance by more luxuriant 

 growth on one side the stem than another. This should be corrected 

 by disbudding or pinching the points of the over-luxuriant shoots 

 back before they gain any ascendency over the weaker ones. This 

 is all the treatment wanted by the larger-growing species of the 

 tribes alluded to, and they may need operating upon only occasion- 

 ally, and many individuals may never need any correction at all. 



