PRUNING IN RELATION TO THE PRODUCTION OF TIMBER. 59 



nessed your operations, I confess that the evils of pruning have 

 arisen from abuse of the practice. Now, then, as the second part 

 of our subject is "Pruning in relation to the production of the 

 greatest value of Timber," let me ask you — Suppose I wish a 

 mixed hardwood plantation to produce the greatest value of 

 timber, whether should I have recourse to pruning on the system 

 suggested, or allow the trees to grow, so as to prune themselves 1 



Forester — By all means have recourse to pruning on the 

 principles already laid down, so as to produce the greatest value 

 of timber, and keep the trees from pruning themselves, i.e., nature's 

 pruning. 



Lord Buchan — Why should I avoid nature's pruning 1 



Forester — If timber trees stand so close upon the ground, so that 

 nature prunes them herself, the branch is amputated and the wound 

 healed at the same time. This she does gradually but surely ; but 

 she heals also a portion of the decayed branch. By this method of 

 priming, you will often see on the timber, on its being sawn up, a 

 defect in the bole, caused by these black knots so common in such 

 cases. For example, you will recollect the sale of hardwood this 

 year. The ash sold was tall and clean when growing ; the planta- 

 tion had never been attended to, the trees being allowed to prune 

 themselves. These ashes, after being sawn into barrel-staves, were 

 unsaleable, owing to the black knots, some of which went through 

 the stave — in fact, two-thirds of the wood had to be burned. This 

 is the general result of nature's pruning, upon hardwoods especi- 

 ally. But by " foreshortening or disbudding the branches," you 

 prevent all this, for by gradually pinching in the branches, you 

 prevent the growth of over strong side branches, thereby throwing 

 more sap and vigour into the main stem. 



Lord Buchan — I remember the circumstance you allude to. 

 Then, suppose I was to grow a young plantation of Scotch pine, 

 with a view to produce the greatest value of timber, would you 

 advise close pruning, foreshortening, or nature's pruning 1 



Forester — In the pine or fir tribe there is a great amount of 

 resin, which, if you apply close pruning, will doubtless bleed 

 very much — in fact, some of the species, if severely cut, will bleed 

 for years. Severe close pruning is injurious to all forest trees, but 

 more especially to conifers. Foreshortening or disbudding is 

 applicable to all classes, and in the pine tribe it may be more 

 freely practised. If a pine loses its leader, you will assist the tree 

 greatly in forming a leader, by foreshortening the upper tier of 



