74 PRUNING IN GENERAL. 



come close, and so in a measure exclude the light. 

 This is fatal to the lowest limbs; those which but 

 a few years before were so green and healthy begin 

 to shed their foliage, and finally, slowly, after the 

 principal growth has been diverted from these 

 branches they die, dry up, and in a few years drop 

 off, and yearly deposits of wood cover the place be- 

 yond recognition. This process continues so long 

 as the trees are growing in height. 



The means referred to by which an isolated tree 

 may measurably provide for its skin the needed 

 protection, is the natural low growing of the first 

 branches. Even before branches are produced 

 nature is sure to provide this protection, and she 

 does it with a screen of leaves during the first sum- 

 mer, and provides at the base of each leaf stem a 

 bud or embryo branch to be developed for the next 

 year's protection of the same parts. These are 

 there for a purpose or they would not be there; then 

 why should we, as soon as these buds are partly 

 developed the next spring, go and strip them off? 

 This is commonly done, and the tree denuded of 

 these most important buds for about 2 to 3 

 feet in height. The purpose is to form the " trunk " 

 and have it smooth, showing no knife marks, or as 

 the "agent" will tell us "all glove pruned." 



As these trees stand in the nursery row, and as 

 all of these rows run north and south (or should do 

 so) the damage is not as serious as it would be to 

 an isolated tree; still, I hold the practice as pernic- 

 ious and avoidable. 



