378 REARING AND MANAGEMENT OF HARDWOOD PLANTATIONS. 
any case, the repetition of a similar process would ruin the trees 
entirely. The fact of the matter is, that if the trees survive such 
treatment at all, they merely drag out a miserable existence at 
best, and are entirely ruined for the purpose they were intended 
to serve. The experienced pruner will, however, act very differ- 
ently. He will commence in time, and reduce the branches 
gradually, so that the result aimed at may be brought about by 
degrees—the operations, in fact, extending over a number of years. 
The lower branches should be left untouched on the trees lining 
the outside of a plantation, and this helps, through time, to hide 
the stems entirely from view. Any branches which seem, how- 
ever, to develop themselves too quickly must be shortened at 
points where smaller ones spring from them, so as to force them 
into uniformity with their neighbours. Trees having more than 
one leader must have the central and most vigorous one left for 
its future top. The others must be removed close to the stem, or 
further up, if considered necessary, but in any case close to a 
lateral shoot. 
The hardwoods inside the plantation will require to be treated 
somewhat differently. All the lower branches will have to be 
gradually cut away, so that about one-third of the entire stem be 
left clean. Great care should be taken to cut the branches off 
neatly, and as close to the stem as possible. The wound should 
also be made smooth with a sharp knife or hand-bill. The top, if 
double, should be regulated in favour of the best contending 
leader ; and side branches, when developing themselves too quickly, 
should be shortened at an offshoot springing from them at any 
convenient point. A good few trees will, in all probability, not 
require to be touched at all, while others may only require a 
branch to be shortened here and there. 
In order that all exudation of sap will have ceased, and that 
the wounds be partly healed up before the end of autumn, all the 
pruning possible should be done in July and August. The sap 
does, moreover, not flow so readily from a recently wounded tree 
in those months. 
Pruning should not be resorted to immediately before or after 
thinning, but should precede that operation by at least one year. 
The trees will thus be enabled to recover from any slight change 
which may have been caused by the operation, They will also 
be better able to withstand any difference of temperature which 
may be occasioned when thinning takes place. 
