58 PRUNING IN RELATION TO THE PRODUCTION OF TIMBER. 



one-third of its original length, more sap or vigour is thrown into 

 the main stem, and this branch does not appropriate too much of 

 the food of the plant for its own support ; and also those large 

 wounds on the bole, so injurious to timber, are avoided — indeed, 

 this system of foreshortening causes no injury to the tree. It 

 cannot be injurious to plant life in this way, for although you 

 have foreshortened the branch to about two-thirds of its original 

 length, there are still as many leaves on the remaining portion as 

 keep up a healthy action, which is all that is necessary. Again, 

 supposing a tree to be possessed of several lateral branches, claim- 

 ing to be the main stem or leader, by foreshortening or disbudding 

 a number of these branches, in proportion as the case may be, but 

 selecting or leaving the best for its future leader, by its having the 

 terminal bud left, it will make a much larger growth than any of 

 the others, and will soon gain a supremacy over them all. This 

 method is beneficial to the timber, because it prevents those large 

 wounds on the bole ; and by reducing the branches indicated, it 

 throws more vigour into the main stem. Again, although you 

 have foreshortened or disbudded the branches, you have left as 

 many branches and leaves on the tree as are essential for its 

 future support. Further, by foreshortening or disbudding, you 

 can even bring a tree of a branchy habit to a more formal appear- 

 ance without injuring or weakening its system. Your lordship 

 saw the effects of this system on your own young larches, some of 

 which lost their leaders. By disbudding all the lateral branches 

 save one, some of them made large growths the same season, 

 while those left untouched in the same plantation did nothing. 

 You will also recollect those hardwoods which we pruned this 

 spring on April 15th by foreshortening, and that you were well 

 pleased with the effects. On close examination, you admitted that 

 it was impossible it could be injurious to plant life, or detrimental 

 to the cpiality of the timber, because those lai^ge wounds on the 

 bole were avoided that would have been inflicted by close pruning. 

 You also saw that there was no bleeding. You are further aware 

 of my having been in the Edinburgh Botanical Garden, and 

 having examined the deodai'S pruned by Mr M'Nab by fore- 

 shortening. Then trying the same experiment on a few of our 

 own, we found that the method tended to inci'ease the growth of 

 the main stem. 



Lord Buchan — I am satisfied with your explanation, and can 

 corroborate all you have said. Froni the fact of my having wit- 



