notes and queries. 79 



Effect of Pruning Green Branches from Larch. 



About sixty to seventy years ago pruning of green branches 

 was performed in a larch wood 25-35 years old. The trees 

 had been planted far apart and at the time of the operation the 

 branches were large. After pruning many of the trees bled, 

 and for six or seven years afterwards growth was not so rapid 

 as it had been. Later on the development of the wood was 

 excellent and, although it suffered somewhat in various storms, 

 it was sold during the war for considerably over ^120 per acre. 

 A small part was felled several years before 19 14. 



The earlier history of the wood was well known to the 

 older inhabitants of the locality. I have recently had proof 

 of the truth of their statements, being able to observe the 

 remains of the pruned branches after the trees were cut at 

 the mill. In addition patches of decayed wood, often of 

 considerable size, were found in their vicinity and in some 

 cases, at least, originated in the pruned part. With sleepers, 

 etc., the exact point of attack was not easy to discover. The 

 merchant who bought the first small lot suffered very much in 

 this respect, and it was not uncommon for him to find that 

 what should have been the most useful part of the trees was 

 almost useless. The decay was more harmful than the ordinary 

 root rot or " pumping," since in this case the butt end was sound 

 and one could not control cross-cutting, so as to avoid the 

 decayed parts. Unpruned trees were quite sound in every case. 



The last lot sold was latterly sent off as shore poles. This effect 

 of pruning larch is quite common knowledge, but I am convinced 

 that the operation is even yet carried out at times when it 

 should not be. It would be interesting to have a record of 

 other observations on this, as well as on the pruning of other 

 conifers, particularly Douglas fir. " M." 



Effect of Pruning Green Branches from Spruce. 



In connection with the above note, attention may be drawn 

 to a short article in the Centralblatt f.d. gesamte Forstwesen for 

 March-April, 192 1, based upon Lakari's observations on the 

 effects of pruning green spruce branches in Finland. The age 

 of the wood pruned is not stated, but the operation was under- 

 taken with the object first of obtaining green branches for 



