AMONG THE OAKS 97 



There is, however, a limit to this forcing of 

 the oak in restricting its natural tendency 

 towards branching habit of growth, with a view 

 to the development of a long, clean bole. With 

 the oak, as with all the other forest trees, the 

 manner in which this treatment may be practised 

 depends not only upon a variety of physical 

 conditions relating to the given soil and situa- 

 tion, but also upon certain specific natural re- 

 quirements regarding a sufficient space for the 

 growth of each individual tree ; and these latter 

 characteristics show themselves in a very marked 

 degree, either in a strong demand for light or in 

 a certain capacity for bearing shade. 



In dealing with any kind of tree grown as a 

 timber crop, control over the tendency to the 

 formation of large branches can only be exerted 

 so long as the vegetative energy can be trans- 

 formed from impulse towards lateral extension 

 into growth upwards. So long as a rather close 

 condition of crop results in good growth in height, 

 this is more advantageous than branch develop- 

 ment ; but when the former has reached its maxi- 

 mum and shows signs of diminishing, it is then 

 time to thin lightly, so as to allow the remaining 



