154 Practical Forestry 



less for the greater part of their height, and on no account 

 admit sufficient light and air to cause the lower branches 

 to be retained intact, or, in other words, at all times retain 

 an unbroken leaf canopy. The necessity for pruning will 

 then be entirely done away with, and a more valuable 

 class of timber produced. The losses sustained through 

 injudicious planting and the unnecessary and ruinous 

 practice of pruning have taught a lesson that is fraught 

 with good for the tree planter of the future. 



When Pruning is Admissible. There are a few cases, 

 however, where pruning is quite justifiable, and where the 

 abuse of a system should furnish no argument against its 

 legitimate use. Hedgerow and field timber, for the sake 

 of the live fences, the grass, or the grain crop in the vicinity, 

 may require attention in the way of judicious pruning. 



Again, pruning is sometimes a necessity where standard 

 trees are grown in conjunction with coppice wood, as by 

 shortening the lower branches the undergrowth in conse- 

 quence becomes much improved. In the case of town trees, 

 too, where it is necessary to restrict the spread of branches, 

 pruning is resorted to, as also with old and heavy-headed 

 elms and other trees in our parks and public gardens. 



Pruning Live Branches. In and around London, as 

 well as many other large centres of industry, the hacking 

 and hewing pruning we cannot call it to which trees are 

 subjected is barbarous in the extreme, and calls for the 

 strongest denunciation. To annually prune and elbow 

 in such noble forest trees as the lime and plane, in order 

 that the restricted growth may render them suitable for 

 the cramped positions in which they have been unwisely 

 planted, is little short of vandalism. The lime and plane, 

 perhaps, suffer most in this way, for as soon as they have 

 overgrown the allotted space an annual system of pruning 

 back the branches is resorted to, the result being great 

 mop-headed protuberances at the points where amputation 

 took place, which not only rob the tree of its graceful 

 natural appearance, but render it susceptible to disease and 

 insect pests. There is no need to specialize cases where this 

 most objectionable system is carried out, for a walk around 



