34 TREE PRUNING. 



lower of the two branches first ; the twigs on the 

 ends of the branches had become interlocked, and the 

 branch B, in falling, pulled down the branch A. This 

 broke under the weight of the first, and, striking the 

 operator on the head, inflicted a severe wound, causing 

 his fall to the ground, a distance of twenty or thirty 

 feet. 



The Amputation of Large Branches. Many of the 

 lower branches previously shortened must afterwards 

 be removed, from time to time, until the necessary 

 height of trunk has been attained. The number of 

 branches to be removed must, of course, depend on 

 the height of the tree, the nature of the soil in which 

 it grows, and its age when first operated on. Great 

 caution should be observed in amputating large 

 branches ; small branches can, of course, be lopped off 

 at any time without danger to the tree. We agree 

 with de Courval that at least three medium-sized 

 branches may be safely removed from a tree in one 

 year ; although if the branches are very large, not 

 more than one, or perhaps two, should be cut at one 

 time. It is always desirable, however, not to unnec- 

 essarily increase by the removal of living branches the 

 wounds left on the trunk by the cutting off of dead 

 branches or other excrescences. 



Whenever it is necessary to amputate a large or 

 long branch, it should be cut first in such a manner 

 as to leave a stump two or three feet long before the 

 final operation of cutting it close to the trunk is un- 

 dertaken (Fig. 28). In this way the danger of tearing 



