HOW TO PRUNE. 235 



path most conducive to the convenience and interest 

 of man ; and in no instance can she do this more cer- 

 tainly, and with better success, than in cases such as 

 these. While the young sapling is within reach of 

 the hand, we use only the common pruning-knife, but 

 when above reach, the pruning-chisel must be used ; 

 and in doing so we proceed in one of two ways, viz., 

 when the branch to be operated upon is situated upon 

 a tree of rapid top-growth that is, when the leading 

 shoot is long and slightly drawn up, with compara- 

 tively few branches we reduce the contending shoot 

 by cutting it back to about one-third or one-half of its 

 entire length ; on the contrary, when the tree is toler- 

 ably strong in proportion to its height, and is fully 

 developed in its lateral branches, we cut off the 

 branch close to the trunk at once. The object of this 

 department of pruning is to obviate the consequences 

 of the bark growing into the body of the tree, and 

 prevent high winds from splitting off the limbs at any 

 future period of their growth. 



With the spokeshave we carefully smooth over the 

 surface of the knot where the branch existed, simul- 

 taneously clearing away all decayed matter around the 

 part which the bark does not cover. We next paint 

 over the dressed knot in order to prevent decay in the 

 tree, to protect it till the bark covers it, and also to 

 bring the knot near to the natural colour of the bark 

 of the tree. White-lead mixed with oil, a little lamp- 

 black and red ochre, serves in most cases for this pur- 

 pose, and in mixing may be brought to any desired 

 tint. One of the most efficient preservatives against 

 decay in old trees is an application of Archangel tar. 

 For trees of dark-coloured bark we prefer tar to paint, 

 taking care to apply it sparingly so as not to let it 



