PRUNING BROAD-LEAVED TREES 155 



Norway Maple would not resent this treatment. But if 

 these latter are cut over at the time of planting, their 

 ultimate height in 6 years' time will not be so great as if 

 they had been cut over 3 years afterwards, when the roots are 

 thoroughly well established ; for in this latter case a very long 

 shoot will be made, whereas in the former case the first 

 year's shoot will be small, and in the second year some of 

 the energy of the plant will be directed to the growth of 

 side branches. 



When young crops 20 or 30 years old are pruned, it will 

 usually be waste of money if any but the best trees or those 

 likely to be left for the final crop are pruned. 



The pruning of softwoods, such as Poplars, Willows, and 

 Lime, is usually dangerous, as their wood generally de- 

 composes before the wound is healed over, and in such 

 cases can offer no resistance to the entrance of spores of 

 fungi. 



Only very small branches, which quickly heal, should be 

 pruned off such trees. It is occasionally necessary to saw 

 off big branches, as may happen in the tending of ornamental 

 timber, but the cutting of branches over 3 inches diameter is 

 attended with considerable risk. 



(2) Method of Pruning. 



Branches should always be pruned absolutely flush with 

 the stem, except in the case of very large limbs, as mentioned 

 hereafter. 



If the branches are small, a sharp knife should be used ; 

 otherwise a small pruning saw should be used, but the 

 circumference of the cut surface should always be trimmed 

 round afterwards with a sharp knife, in order to encourage 

 the bark to quickly occlude the exposed surface. If the 

 branches are not cut quite flush with the stem, the small 

 projections or " snags " die, and never, even when the bark 

 has closed over, become incorporated with the live wood, but 

 remain as dead knots in the timber. 



Young standards in coppice may best be pruned with a 

 sharp chisel fitted to the end of a long pole, and this is 



