ON PRUNING TIMBER TREES. 253 



Thus, then, the operation of pruning may he said to he begun 

 in the nursery, but at that time with an extreme degree of temp- 

 erance, all the object of pruning at that early period being to 

 prevent the plant becoming forked. When the trees are trans- 

 planted to their ultimate situation, we may examine them in the 

 third, or at latest, the fourth year afterwards, and then, if more 

 than one leading shoot is formed on any tree, we are to select the 

 best, and shorten the others to about half the length of that 

 which had been selected. And in like manner, when any branch 

 or set of branches is seen to be extending laterally, with a growth 

 disproportioned to that of the others, then, by merely shortening 

 them, the tendency to the lateral extension will be sufficiently 

 checked to allow the other branches to extend in an equal de- 

 gree. And should we find that all the branches of a tree are 

 tending to extend too much laterally, by merely shortening them 

 in a slight degree, we shall give the ascendency to one leading 

 shoot, and so promote the upward tendency ; and this is all the 

 priming required until the tree has attained, as has been said, 

 the height of fifteen or sixteen feet, when the process of pruning 

 the lower branches is to be begun and carried on by the slow 

 process described. But even after we have begun the process 

 of close pruning, we may still observe that the tree is ascend- 

 ing vertically, and, if required, give this tendency from time to 

 time by shortening of any of the lateral branches. 



It is not essential to the success of this method of pruning, 

 that it be carried on every year. It will be sufficient to ap- 

 proach as near to the perfect practice as circumstances will al- 

 low, observing merely the general rule that not more than the 

 growth of one year shall be taken off at a time, and that the pro- 

 cess shall not be carried further than to the clearing off thre c 

 fifths of the height of the tree. 



The method of pruning by the shortening of the lateral bran- 

 ches, was brought into notice in England by the writings of 

 Mr. Billington, who had charge of a portion of the royal forests : 

 and it was further developed and explained, with the addition of 

 the gradual denudation of the lower branches, by Mr. Cree, in 

 Scotland. To these most deserving individuals is due the merit 

 of having introduced, and to the latter that of having perfected, a 

 system of pruning very greatly superior to that which had been 

 before in use. 



Pruning as it is commonly practised can scarcely he said to be 



