258 PRUNING. 



eral are now produced. If only one or two branches 

 at most are produced, they will grow so rapidly as soon 

 to occupy the whole space the former branch did ; but 

 if a still greater number are produced, the further re- 

 sult is that quite a profusion of spray is sent forth, 

 alike abundant and sickly, which neither produces 

 proper wood in a forest - tree, nor fruit in a fruit- 

 bearer. 



If, instead of the pruned tree being a strong and 

 healthy one, it is, on the contrary, sickly or delicate, 

 the result of pruning in that case would be that 

 the wound inflicted by the operation would not 

 readily, if at all, heal, and thereby disease would be 

 aggravated and decay accelerated, which frequently 

 extends to the trunk and other parts of the tree, to 

 its serious injury, and often ultimate destruction. 



That pruning where actually required does much 

 good there can be no manner of doubt, but that the 

 reasons generally assigned for pruning, and the 

 manner and method of doing so are false and delu- 

 sive, is but too evident. The removal of large limbs 

 from trees of advanced age is sometimes an absolute 

 necessity, such as those overhanging roads, in arable 

 fields, hedges, &c. This, however, is done without 

 any thought or intention of benefiting the tree, but 

 also too often without the consciousness that it is 

 doing positive injury. 



Some trees, as the oak, Spanish chestnut, and larch, 

 which have very hard and durable heart-wood, are 

 much less injured by cutting off large boughs than 

 others, such as the beech, birch, ash, sycamore, &c., 

 which have it soft and liable to decay. In the former 

 the new wood is formed and grows over the wound 

 before serious decay sets in, but in the latter decay 



