qS General Care of Trees 



and the more ihey lie in the lengtli direction of the stem, 

 the more readily are they co\-ered; i.e., tb.e more li\-c cam- 

 bium borders them sideways, the more active the foliage 

 above the wound, and the more directly the repairing cam- 

 bium is fed. 



The severity with which a tree may be pruned depends, 

 then, mainly on its capacity to co\'er the wounds in a reason- 

 able time; and since this is a result of food elaboration, it 

 depends on the growth conditions of the tree. Therefore, 

 the tree surgeon, like the surgeon in the hospital, must 

 consider the condition of the patient. The pruning may 

 be executed in the most careful and ap})roved manner, and 

 yet the result may be disastrous if the vitality of the tree is 

 not equal to the task of repair. If the pruning were accom- 

 panied by attention to the vigor of the tree in improving its 

 chances for nutrition, results woukl more often be satis- 

 factory. Hence, if you prune hea\'ily, do what you would 

 expect to do with a human being that has an operation to 

 undergo; make it comfortable and keep it well fed in order 

 to invigorate its constitution. 



Specific Rules. Pruning of ornamental and shade trees 

 is practised, then, 



(i) to remove superfluous and injurious parts, 



(2) to keep the trees within manageable shape and limits, 



(3) to train the tree to desirable form, 



(4) to modify the vigor of the tree. 



Pruning for Balance. The hrst pruning is to be done at 

 the time of planting, when it is needful to restore the balance 

 between the branch system and the root system, the latter 

 often having been curtailed in the oj)eration of transplanting 

 the tree. First, all injured roots need attention. Broken 

 ones must be cut with a sharp, smooth draw cut, in such a 

 manner that the face is on the lower side, so that from it 



