225 



seems to have been broken off, while 

 aUve ; and such breaking occasioned the 

 death of the stump, as it produced no 

 shoots, but remained dead upon the stem, 

 ten years, before it was completely in- 

 closed. The sound wood joins closely 

 to the end of the stump, and we have no 

 mc^'e of defect than just its size. Had 

 no stump been left, in displacing the 

 branch, it is evident the defect would have 

 been no detriment at all. 



Here some of the advantages of pru- 

 ning are clearly demonstrated, more par- 

 ticularly that of close cutting ; as such 

 wounds readily heal over, and in doing 

 so, completely exclude the air, and hence 

 prevent or arrest the business of putre- 

 faction. A. would have been complete- 

 ly rotten, long before the tree was taken 

 d(5wn, had not that been the case. We 

 see too, how soon, after amputation, the 

 veins or sap-vessels take a straight direc- 

 tion over the stumps ; after which^ all the 



