SIDE BRANCHES 93 



As regards the persistency of the branches, it may be 

 stated that small dead branches drop off quicker than large 

 branches. 



The side branches of Larch readily fall off, and give 

 very little trouble ; and next in order come, perhaps, those 

 of Ash, Birch, Poplars, and Willows. 



The side branches of Oak do not very readily fall off; 

 and for the first 30 years of their life the trees should be 

 grown very close together, so as to prevent any large 

 branches ever being formed. 



The side branches of Spruce, and Scots, Corsican, 

 Austrian, and Weymouth Pines, are, even when dead, very 

 persistent, especially if they be more than an inch in diameter. 



On account of their shade-enduring qualities the side 

 branches of Silver Fir, Beech, Hornbeam, Spruce, and 

 .Douglas Fir are not readily killed, and will not, if they 

 become of any size, readily fall off 



It is very necessary to pay the greatest attention to this 

 matter, when deciding on the distance apart at which planting 

 should be done, or when deciding upon any particular mixture 

 of trees, and the arrangement of that mixture. 



For the success of any even-aged mixture, or at any rate 

 a mixture where every tree differs from its neighbour, or where 

 the mixture is by alternate lines of trees, is, apart from soil 

 and locality, almost entirely dependent upon their relative 

 height growth and their mutual pruning effects. 



In many cases, these two considerations are entirely 

 ignored ; and the effect produced is often exactly similar to 

 the evil effects of planting trees too wide apart. 



For instance, suppose a mixture of Larch and Silver Fir 

 were made by alternate trees, planted 4 feet apart. The 

 Larch would grow much faster than the Silver Fir, and, for 

 the first 25 years of the life of the crop, conditions would 

 exist similar to planting pure crops of Larch or Silver Fir 

 8 feet apart each way ; for, practically speaking, neither of 

 the trees would exert any pruning effects on each other 

 until the space of 8 feet were bridged over. 



In the case of pure crops, the conditions for natural pruning 



