48 PRUNING 



When a tree has reached, say, half its natural height, oftener much 

 less, it may be left to itself, for it will nearly always be found that once a 

 strong leading shoot has developed it will retain its predominance, pro- 

 vided no accident occurs, for as long as the natural form and habit 

 of the tree allow. 



Side-pruning. The greater proportion of the trees used for 

 furnishing our gardens are of exotic origin. Species from all the cool 

 temperate regions of the globe, inhabiting, in their native state, every 

 variety of position and climate those latitudes afford, are brought under 

 practically uniform conditions in the few acres of a British garden. It 

 happens, therefore, in even the most favoured places, that some of the 

 trees are not given the conditions most suitable for them. The effect 

 (especially on species from somewhat warmer countries) is often shown 

 in a tree assuming a stunted, bushy habit under cultivation, whereas in its 

 own home it is lofty and graceful. In such cases it is the work of the 

 pruner to aid the tree in assuming its natural form. 



This can be done by two methods. The horizontal development of 

 such trees, as opposed to their vertical development, should (i) be 

 checked by pruning back the side branches. The cut should, as often 

 as possible, be made at a fork, so as to leave a smaller branch with its 

 twigs, rather than a stump. The operator's judgment should also be 

 exercised as to whether (2) a proportion of the branches should not be 

 entirely removed. A comparison of the number of branches on a young 

 tree with those of a fully grown example of the same species shows how 

 drastically Nature thins the branches. The pruner should be guided by 

 this fact in such cases as those under discussion and remove too crowded 

 branches. As a matter of fact, experience has proved conclusively, over 

 and over again, that a tree may be brought out oT its stunted state and 

 made to grow again in height by this process alone. The importance of 

 shaping a tree into its proper form whilst it is still young cannot be too 

 strongly insisted on. Much trouble may be saved by removing superfluous 

 and wrongly placed growths whilst they are still young and succulent. 

 Without developing a rigid formality of outline, a young tree should, 

 nevertheless, be kept in the main to a pyramidal shape. This is, in fact, 

 involved in the maintenance of a due balance and symmetry of the 

 branches and the predominance of the leader. Moreover, it is the 

 natural shape of nearly all young trees of the type now under discussion 

 the larger growing trees of our gardens and parks as may be noticed 

 from any healthy, uninjured, self-sown young tree. But provided the 

 main fact is recognised, this question as to where symmetry and balance 

 merge into mere formality may very well be left to individual taste and 

 judgment. 



The pruning of specimen trees may be summarised thus : keep them 



