So ^PRACTICAL FORESTRY. 



rapidly this dead portion soon becomes embedded 

 in the new growth, and when sawn into planks forms 

 a blemish of a serious character. 



When thinning plantations of Scotch pine and 

 spruce fir it is sometimes impossible to avoid the 

 cutting off of green limbs, as these trees do not cast 

 their laterals as early as larch. If not cut off, the 

 woodmen cannot move about and perform their task. 

 In this case, however, if care is taken to cut close 

 without wounding the stem, little or no injury will 

 follow, because these trees do not suffer from bleeding 

 like larch. In this matter of cutting off the lower 

 branches of Scotch pine and spruce our experience 

 is, that if cut off close to the trunk by a sharp upward 

 cut of the axe no harm will follow, as in a few years 

 the wound will heal by occlusion. 



With these remarks we may dismiss the pruning 

 of conifers, but the pruning of deciduous trees is a 

 matter of much greater importance and must be 

 further considered. 



Pruning means nothing more nor less than diminish- 

 ing the number of leaves and branches, and as these 

 are necessary to the full development of timber, the 

 question arises Why cut them off? 



No forester should suffer a limb to be severed 

 without he can give, if asked, a good reason for 

 doing so. Random pruning is of all others a mark 

 of ignorance and bad forestry. 



Let us follow the various stages of growth, and 

 consider pruning under each. When removed from 

 the nursery the plants should be shaped, i.e., the best 

 leader, if there are more than one, should be selected, 



