450 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Fig. 13. — Branch wound made 

 with an axe, and now partially 

 healed, but showing horizontal 

 fissures resulting fi'oni the axe 

 hlows. 



in his introduction to the English edition, as follows: "It 

 is necessary to prune in such a manner that no portion of an 



amputated or dead branch shall be 

 left on the trunk. The cut should 

 always be made close to and per- 

 fectly even with the trunk, with- 

 out regard to the size of the wound 

 thus made" (see Fig. 14). It has 

 been our practice to follow this 

 rule, except where a large excres- 

 cence or "shoulder" projected 

 from the trunk around the base of 

 the Urab. In such a case the 

 shoulder has not been cut off, for 

 its removal would expose so large 

 a surface to the weather as to ren- 

 der healino; more difficult than if the limb were cut at its 

 base next the shoulder. This method and this alone facili- 

 tates the healing of the wound by bring- 

 ing all its edo-es in closest contact with 

 the living cambium of the trunk, and 

 thereby making them most accessible to 

 the direct flow of the returning sap which 

 forms the callus, which must cover the 

 wound if it is to be healed. Ordinarily 

 the most practical tool for this purpose 

 is a sharp saw ; but it sometimes may be 

 necessar}^ as in the case of a large limb, 

 to employ the pruning knife or chisel to 

 pare down parts of the base of the limb 

 which the plane or the saw cut may leave 

 in the form of irregular projections on 

 the trunk. Never use an axe, for the 

 danger of injury to the tree is much 

 greater than with saw or knife. The axe 

 not only injures the bark, causing it to 

 die back, but the character of its re- 

 peated blows causes the surface of the wound to split, as in 

 Fig. 13. Fig. 14 shows the right Avay to make the wound. 



Fig. 14.— Trunk show- 

 ing at the left a cut made 

 by removing properly a 

 large limb. On the right 

 a smaller wound, prop- 

 erly made, has already 

 healed. 



