PRUNING TO FORM PYRAMIDS. 151 



receive. The other lines show the points at which 

 the limbe and trunk should be shortened. 



Having shortened the tree shown in Fig. 33, at A, 

 the next effort of Kature is to effect an aeration of tlie 

 sap produced in the roots, and fls there are but few 

 buds to expand into leaves, a large amount of sa]^ is 

 thrown upon these few. 



The difficulties in forming pyramids from such 

 trees are numerous. Unless the tree has been root- 

 pruned, or recently transplanted, an effect of this 

 severe shortening, called by horticulturists suffocation, 

 ensues, and a sickly growth of small shoots is the 

 result. 'Not unfrequently, several shoots start from 

 near the amputation in a bushy ^cluster, or a gour- 

 mand or two obstinately shoots up, absorbing all tlie 

 sap. It will now become more and more difficult to 

 draw out the buds below, and, after the bark is two 

 years old, almost impossible. 



Under this treatment, we must thus commence our 

 pyramid with a raw amputation, that will exhibit for 

 years an ungainly scar, but there is nothing less severe 

 to be done until we have better-formed nursery trees, 

 and can remedy some of these evils, by commencing 

 the process in the first season, as shown at Fig. 35, 

 which has been already explained on page 90. 



If tlie tree shown at Fig. 33 is planted in the same 

 season of its shortening, but little growth, of course, 

 will be produced during the first year, but if per- 

 fectly successful in avoiding all the mishaps noted, it 

 will, at the end of the second year, exhibit somewhat 

 the appearance of Fig. 36. If more shoots should 

 have been produced than necessary, they must be 



