PLANTING. 65 



and into which the roots immediately connected with these boughs pene- 

 trate and afterwards keep possession. By taking off such branches early, 

 therefore, the extra supply of nourishment afforded by such local circum- 

 stance of soil is directed to the stem and useful lateral branches. 

 * It has been already observed, that, by depriving a tree, to a certain extent, 

 of its side branches, the growth of the stem in length is promoted, but 

 the diameter, strength, or thickness of it is not increased in the same 

 proportion. When the side branches are destroyed by natural causes, or 

 by the neglect of judicious thinning, the like injurious effects ensue to the 

 primary object here in view, that of obtaining the largest quantity of timber 

 of the best quality on a given space of land. 



When the lateral branches perish or cease to be produced, except 

 towards the top of the tree, from the want of pure air and of the vital 

 influence of the solar rays on the foliage, the existence of the tree may 

 continue for years, but the produce or increase of timber of any value 

 ceases, and it dies prematurely, affording at last a produce comparatively 

 of no value, after having obstructed the profitable and healthy growth 

 of the adjoining trees during its latter unprofitable stages of life. In 

 the contest for the preservation of existence which takes place after a 

 certain period of growth among the individual trees of a plantation which 

 has been neglected, or left without the aid of judicious pruning or 

 thinning, there will be found trees which, from the accidental circumstance 

 of having originally a vigorous, healthy constitution, and from partially 

 escaping the numerous injuries and obstructions of growth that accrue 

 to trees by neglect of culture, have attained to a valuable timber size. 

 The timber of the few such trees, however, as have thus gained the su- 

 premacy, is frequently much blemished by the stumps of the dead branches 

 having become imbedded in the wood; and this serious injury to the 

 quality of the timber and value of the tree, is the invariable consequence 

 of neglecting to prune off these stumps as soon as they appear, or rather 

 neglecting to cut away close to the stem such branches as indicate decay, 

 and before they cease growing. 



The time at which pruning should begin, depends entirely on the 

 growth of the young trees. In some instances of favourable soil and 

 quick growth of the plants, branches will be found in the course of four or 

 five years to require foreshortening, and in case of the formation of forked 

 leaders, to be pruned off close to the stem. When the lateral branches of 

 different trees interfere with each other's growth, pruning, so as to fore- 

 shorten, should be freely applied in every case, in order to prevent the 

 stagnation of air among the branches, or the undue preponderance of 

 branches on one side of the tree. Perfect culture, in this respect, 

 requires that the plantation should be examined every year, and by keeping 

 the trees thus in perfect order there will never be any danger of making 

 too great an opening, or depriving a tree too suddenly of a large pro- 

 portion of branches. The operation will also be so much more quickly 

 performed, as to render the expense of management less than if the 

 pruning were delayed, or only performed at intervals of years, as is too 

 frequently practised. By this management there will be little, if any, 

 necessity for pruning close to the stem, until the tree attain to twenty feet 

 in height, or even more than that, provided the stem be clear of lateral 

 branches from five to eight feet from the root. When the lateral branches 

 are regular and moderately large, the smaller length of clear stem may be 

 adopted, and where the branches are larger towards the top, the greater 

 space of close pruning. Five years from the first close pruning will not be 

 too long before the second is performed ; one, or at most, two tire of branches 



F 



