17© 



the business of woods. An old tree, in a 

 languid state of growth, is cut down ; 

 such, for instance, as had made no visible 

 increase, for nnany years ; and yet its 

 stump is afterwards found to have assum- 

 ed fresh vigour, so as to produce, in a few 



years, a new and flourishing tree. We 



easily account for all these results, upon 

 the principle that pruning increases the 

 general weight of a tree, while they are 

 perfectly inexplicable upon any other. 



Having now shewn how pruning con- 

 tributes to increase the general weight of 

 trees, we are next to examine how it par- 

 ticularly operates upon their most valua- 

 ble part, the stem. And we cannot do 

 it better, than by requesting the reader's 

 attention to matter of fact, at once curi- 

 ous and interesting, mentioned p. 55.-— 

 We there assert, what almost every tree 

 of a tolerable age proves, namely, that 

 they never taper more in stem, (except 

 what is occasioned by the branches,) than 



