THE FRENCH SYSTEM OF PRUNING. 275 



which always appear in wood in seasoning, and which, 

 as is well known, do not diminish its strength, elas- 

 ticity, or value for all industrial purposes.' 



" Old Trees. It is hardly necessary to explain that 

 old trees require more cautious treatment than younger 

 ones, which may, if necessary, be entirely remodelled. 

 In pruning an old tree it is not a question of a leader 

 or of increasing the size ; and it is only desirable to 

 regulate the shape of the head somewhat, by shorten- 

 ing when necessary such branches as interfere, by their 

 length or position, with the equilibrium of the tree 

 itself, or injure other trees in its vicinity. The heads 

 of old trees should, as far as possible, be reduced to a 

 more or less rounded ovoid, the lower branches being 

 the shortest. 



" The main branches should be left 6 to 1 2 feet 

 long, or even longer if they are furnished with suffi- 

 cient shoots to regulate the flow of sap although it 

 may be well to repeat that the branches of the beech 

 should not be shortened, unless it can be done, in such 

 a manner as to ensure, by abundant foliage at their 

 ends, the supply of sap necessary for the regular de- 

 velopment of the tree. In shortening branches it is 

 difficult, especially for beginners in the art of pruning, 

 to determine the point at which the operation is best 

 performed. Practice and experience soon teach this, 

 however; and even if a few branches die under the 

 operation, no very serious damage has been done. Two 

 or three large branches can be safely removed at one 

 time from old trees ; and although it is not desirable 

 to make many wounds on the trunk of an old tree, 

 they are less injurious than dead and decaying 

 branches, which produce cavities in the trunk that 

 should be avoided at any cost. The branches of an 



