Pruning. 



255 



cambium of the supporting member and just beyond 

 this swelling, a more or less distinct line marks the 

 point where the cambium of the branch and of the sup- 

 porting members unite. In a healthy tree, a wound 

 made by a branch of reasonable size, cut off at this 



FIG. 153. FIG. 154. FIG. 165. 



FIG. 153. Showing the proper place to make the cut in prun- 

 ing. A wound made by a cut on the dotted line A-B will be 

 promptly healed. One made on the line C-D or E-F will not. 

 In Fig. 154 the lower branch was cut off too far from the trunk. 



FIG. 154. Showing how to make the cut in pruning large 

 branches. The upper cut, all made from above, permits the branch 

 to split down. The left cut, first made partly from below, pre- 

 vents splitting down. 



FIG. 155. Pruning to an outside or inside bud. Cut as In the 

 figure, the uppermost bud would form a shoot that tends to ver- 

 tical. Cut on the dotted line, the uppermost bud would form a 

 shoot tending to horizontal. 



line, will usually heal promptly, but if the cut is made 

 much farther out, it will not. 



The cut should generally be made at right angles 

 with the branch, rather than parallel to the supporting 

 member, since it is important that the wound be no 

 larger than is necessary. Wounds so large that they 

 cannot heal promptly should be painted with lead and 

 oil paint to preserve the wood. 



419. Unhealed Wounds Introduce Decay into the 

 heartwood of trees. Since the cells of the heartwood 



