PRUNING. 283 



stumps of trees as well or at any rate to cover them with 

 earth . 



Section II. — Pruning. 



1. Objects of Pruning. 



"Where the ohject of management centres in the production 

 of vahiable timber, in other words of trees with long clean 

 boles, it is necessary for them to lose their side branches up 

 to a certain height from the ground. Trees which grow up in 

 crowded woods lose their lower ])ranches naturally owing to the 

 insufficienc}' of light, and this process proceeds up the stem 

 with the elevation of the leaf canopy from the ground. A 

 great difference exists, however, in this respect between the 

 various species of forest trees. Broadly speaking it may be 

 said that, the rapidity with which trees lose their lower 

 branches, in crowded woods, is inversely proportional to 

 their power to bear shade. Hence, light demanding trees 

 will lose their lower branches quicker than shade bearers. In 

 some cases the dead branches drop quickly to the ground, and 

 in others thej^ remain for years producing knots and irregu- 

 larity in the timber laid on in the meantime. Trees grown in 

 the open retain their lower branches more or less throughout 

 life, and they produce in consequence timber of inferior value 

 as compared with trees grown in crowded woods. 



In the cases where the lower branches do not drop off 

 naturally, they may be removed artificially, and this process 

 is termed " Pruning." In sylviculture the principal objects of 

 pruning are as follows : — 



(1.) Increase in value of the pruned tree. 



(2.) Freedom of younger growth from the too great cover 



caused by overhanging trees. 

 (3.) To stimulate the expansion of the crown in the 

 upper part of the tree. 



Branchless boles are of greater value than those with 

 branches, because the timber splits better, and the scant- 

 lings sawn out of them have fewer knots. In order to realise 



