154 TENDING OF YOUNG HIGH FOREST, ETC. 



will pay for so doing ; and even some of the branches on the 

 older " standards " may advisably be cut if they do not 

 exceed about 3 inches in diameter. Any exposure of heart- 

 wood will usually result in decay. 



The side branches of young hardwood trees in even- 

 aged woods will often require pruning. The necessity for 

 this will be more frequent in mixed woods than in pure 

 woods, and especially, of course, if the trees have been 

 planted far apart. But pruning is very expensive, and 

 unless it is done well, more harm than good is done to the 

 trees. 



It should never be resorted to unless it is quite certain 

 that it will not be effected by natural agencies in a reasonable 

 time ; and even if this seems unlikely, it will often be 

 preferable and cheaper, in the case of young hardwood trees 

 which have not been planted more than 4 or 5 years, to cut 

 them over very close to the ground, and to subsequently 

 allow a single stem to grow from each of these coppiced 

 trees. The new stem is very vigorous, and the whole of the 

 energy of the root system appears to be largely directed in 

 making a long leading shoot, to the detriment in growth of 

 side branches. 



Young hardwood trees thus cut over will often be far 

 taller in 6 or 8 years' time than similar trees not cut over, 

 and they are always cleaner and more free from side 

 branches. 



This method of cutting trees over at the "collar" is 

 often practised in the case of Ash at the time of planting ; 

 and it is a very usual custom in the case of planting trees to 

 form a hedgerow; in this latter case, however, the cut is 

 made about 2 inches above the collar, so as to induce the 

 throwing out of many side branches near the ground. 



Where the growth of timber trees is required, it will 

 generally be preferable, if this practice is adopted, to cut 

 them over after they have been planted out for 2 or 3 seasons 

 (or even more in some cases). If Beech trees were cut over 

 at the time of planting, most of them would be killed, though 

 Oak, Ash, Spanish Chestnut, Hornbeam, Sycamore, and 



