PRUNING IN RELATION TO THE PRODUCTION OF TIMBER. 57 



ing sap is simply the water of the soil ; but after it reaches the 

 leaves it combines with the gases absorbed from the atmosphere, 

 through the pores or hairs of the leaves ; here it exhales the fluids 

 not essential to vegetation, and is changed into the nutritive food 

 of the plant. It is thus evident that to lop off a branch close by 

 the stem is to divest the tree of a portion of its essential organs. 

 You had an instance this year, on the 13th March, when you saw 

 a number of men pruning on a neighbouring estate by the road- 

 side, and asked my opinion as to the system practised. I said 

 that the trees were individually weakened by the loss of so many 

 of their nutritive organs. There was also nothing done to arrest 

 the progress of contending leaders, nor of overstrong side branches 

 — nearly as large as the trunk itself. The large wounds were like- 

 wise injurious to the value of the timber, for it is impossible for 

 nature to heal them over without causing a defect in the bole. 

 On the 20th of the same month, your lordship returned and ex- 

 amined the trees, and saw that they were all bleeding, especially 

 the sycamore or plane tree, which was bleeding severely, and there 

 was a hole in the earth as if made by water from a spout. Un- 

 questionably such a loss must be injurious to plant life. You had 

 also an example among your own oaks, which were taken out 

 some years ago. These had been all close pruned, the result being 

 that the quality of timber was greatly marred by the wounds not 

 having healed ; and from the water having got into the wound, 

 the wood was materially damaged. I therefore maintain that 

 close pruning is injurious, and should never be resorted to, especi- 

 ally after the plants have attained any size. 



Lord Buchan — I am satisfied with your explanation. I re- 

 member looking at those large wounds referred to, and at my own 

 oaks, and observing that the timber was damaged in both cases, 

 evidently by the close pruning to which you object. I wish you 

 now to prove that foreshortening or disbudding is beneficial to 

 the quality of the timber, and, at the same time, not injurious to 

 the trees. 



Forester — In the operation of pruning, it is easy to overstep 

 judicious limits, and the actual evils have arisen, no doubt, from 

 abuse of the practice. It would be as unreasonable to suppose 

 that the accumulation of timber should be increased by reducing 

 the roots as by reducing the foliage, both being necessary, as we 

 have shown. Foreshortening or disbudding the branches is 

 beneficial to the timber in this way : If you reduce a branch by 



