54 THE NURSERY 



Even if planting is only done occasionally, it is far 

 preferable, in most cases, to make a temporary nursery and 

 school purchased seedlings for i or 2 years, rather than to 

 buy older trees from a trade nursery ; for success in finally 

 planting out will be much more certain, and if by chance 

 a bad stock has been purchased, the loss is small and 

 confined to a small area as compared to a failure when 

 purchased stock is directly planted out. 



(9) The Pruning of Nursery Stock. 



This, in the case of conifers, should never be resorted to 

 except that a double leader may be cut away, though often it 

 will be preferable not to plant the tree at all ; for the risk of 

 disease and insect attack is so very much increased. 



But some pruning of hardwoods will often be advisable. 

 Whenever pruning is practised, a sharp knife should always 

 be used. Any trees with long tap-roots should have these 

 roots cut off, and a sloping cut should be made. This will 

 often be the case with Oak, Walnut, and Spanish Chestnut, 

 both when lining out seedlings and when the plants are 

 raised for being planted out. So also, if any roots are 

 injured, they must be cut off. If the roots are pruned, it is 

 advisable to prune off some of the side branches up to half 

 the length of the stem, so as to restore a correct balance 

 and prevent the new leaves from wilting owing to lack of 

 soil moisture. 



The small branches must be cut off quite flush with the 

 main stem, not shortened back and leaving a snag. 



Such pruning of the side branches, up to one-half the 

 total height of the tree, can always be recommended for 

 hardwood trees, before they leave the nursery, though it adds 

 to their expense. And, of course, any double leaders must 

 be cut off. 



Any excessive pruning is very bad, for there will not be 

 sufficient leaf surface to elaborate good material for the 

 production of new roots. Excessively pruned trees become 

 " mop " beaded and throw up suckers or stem shoots near the 

 ground, owing to a state of hypertrophy which is induced. 



