THE PHILOSOPHY OF PRUNING. 271 



they die and fall off. But in cultivated grounds, or 

 where there is ample room for roots and branches 

 to spread, this does not take place ; and hence the 

 propriety ol pruning here to obtain a good stem for 

 timber, or a handsome top for shade and ornament. 

 Often there are two or more leading shoots striving 

 for the mastery, and, unless they are shortened or 

 taken oft', there will be two or more stems of dimin- 

 utive size, instead of one of larger size. We may 

 therefore prune shade-trees to improve their form 

 or to please the fancy, and timber-trees to improve 

 the bole ; but in neither case do we either increase 

 the growth or prolong the life of the tree. 



" As the twig is bent, so will the tree incline," is 

 literally true in regard to pruning. We can give 

 almost any form to trees which fancy may conceive, 

 by beginning early, and persevering with the pru- 

 ning-knife or shears, as is often witnessed in clipped 

 hedges and in ornamental garden-grounds. We 

 may make them dwarfs or standards, or give them 

 a thin or dense foliage at our pleasure. They may 

 be trained or cut into the shape of animals, into ge- 

 ometrical fprms, or architectural or sculptural com- 

 positions. 



We prune fruit-trees to improve the fruit and to 

 induce a bearing habit. The roots of trees take up 

 from the soil a certain quantity of vegetable food, 

 call it geine, or humus, or organic remains, or what 

 you please ; it has previously constituted parts of 

 vegetable structure, and is convertible by natural 

 processes into wood or fruit, or both. If the ten- 

 dency of the plant is to wood, as is generally the 

 case with all healthy young trees, the fruit will be 

 scanty and inferior, at least till the tree has attained 

 to mature size. But if the tendency to growth is 

 checked by poverty of soil, disease, or judicious pru- 

 ning, the tree will be brought into a precocious state 

 of bearing, and, in the case of judicious pruning, pro- 

 duce more and better fruit. 



