52 PRUNING : ITS ORNAMENT AND UTILITY. 
as a hand-saw, pruning chisel, and averuncator. When pruning 
has to be performed to any extent by a number of workmen, it 
will be found indispensable to have a skilled person to superintend 
the operations, and if the superintendent has his heart in the work, 
he will find his time fully occupied. Assuming, therefore, that 
we are in the position of such a person, how should we proceed 
with the work ? 
In the first place, we should survey the outline of the tree 
under treatment, and mentally calculate the amount of pruning 
required. A very little observation will show that the outline 
of all trees is either an isosceles triangle, a circle, or an ellipse. 
Having formed in our mind’s eye the shape of the finished tree, 
we at once commence operations. Comparatively young trees, 
especially oak, growing in a freely exposed place, produce on 
their stems and leading branches a great number of small spray, 
fit for nothing but to suck the sap from the main body of the 
tree. All these ought to be cut off. In addition to these twigs, 
we find a numher of branches radiating from the stem, without 
getting their extremities to the outside owing to the crowding 
of the stronger branches. These ought to be cut off from the 
stem or at other parts which will not spoil the shape of the 
tree. Having done this, nothing further remains but to prune 
the tree, according to its natural form, by foreshortening the 
branches more or less as may be found necessary. Attention 
must be paid to the outline so that the tree may be properly 
balanced. Strong branches ought to be cut close in at the most 
appropriate fork, so that the part left may grow in the direction 
of the part cut off. Branches rubbing against each other ought 
to be separated. A strong branch bending upwards among 
horizontal branches ought to be cut at the commencement of 
the curve. In addition to strong side branches, all upright 
shoots ascending from horizontal branches towards the top of the 
tree ought to be cut clean off. Some writers maintain that the 
operation of pruning ought to commence at the top of a tree. 
As a general rule, the operation will be found more easy to work 
from the base to the apex. Pruning from base to apex has 
many advantages, and ought to be generally insisted on. Branches 
cut off at the bottom fall easily to the ground, whereas branches 
cut at the top fall on the long lower ones, and, collecting, have 
a tendency to break them. All dead or decaying branches ought 
to be cut clean out from base to apex. 
