652 PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. Part III. 



what kind of tree it is likely to form; and, if it inclines to grow crooked, lighten a little the top of the 

 tree, by taking off a few of the crooked branches on the straighter side, allowing all the branches to 

 remain on the side to which the tree inclines to crook, to give it more weight, and to draw most of the 

 juice or sap that way, and it will naturally incline more to the crook ; at the same time clearing away any 

 other tree on the crooked side, that may be apt, with the wind, to whip the side of the tree to which it 

 inclines to crook. Also taking away such trees of less value as may prevent it from spreading out to the 

 one side more than to the other." He adds, " I have myself tried the experiment with several oak trees 

 at about twelve feet high, that were a little inclined to crook, and that had also a main branch inclined to 

 a horizontal position. In the course of less than twenty years, I had the pleasure of seeing some of these 

 very trees grow so very crooked that the branch would v/ork in with the main stem or body of the tree, 

 to a complete knee or square, which is the most valuable of all trees ;,and, as ten trees of crooked oak are 

 required for one straight one, it is of the most essential consequence to have crooked oak trees ; and, besides, 

 an oak tree, properly crooked, that will answer for a large knee (say the main branch, to be fit to work 

 in with the body or trunk of the tree without much waste of wood), is nearly double in value to the same 

 number of feet of a straight tree ; and, indeed, knees of oak are extremely scarce, and difficult to be got." 

 4002. Pontey " knows of no way by which bends of tolerable scantlings (knees excepted) can be pro- 

 duced with certainty and little trouble, but from a side branch kept in a bent position by the branches of 

 another tree or trees overhanging its stem." {Forest Pruner, 174.) 



4003. Coppice ivoods, in so far as grow^ii from poles or bark, require pruning on the 

 same principle as timber trees, in order to modify the ligneous matter into stem, and 

 produce clean bark. In as far as they are grown for fence wood, fuel, or besom spray, 

 no pruning is required. 



4004. Osier holts require the laterals to be pinched off the shoots intended for hoops ; 

 those of the basket-maker seldom produce any. The stools, also, require to be kept free 

 from dead wood, and stinted knotted protuberances. 



4005. Hedges require side pruning, or switching, from their first planting, so as gra- 

 dually to mould them into " the wedge shape, tapering from bottom to top on both sides 

 equally, till they meet in a point at the top. Two feet at bottom is a sufficient breadth 

 for a five feet hedge ; a greater or less height should have the bottom wider or narrower, 

 accordingly. In dressing young hedges, either of the deciduous or evergreen kinds, 

 the sides only should be cut till the hedge arrives at the proposed height, unless it be 

 necessary, for the sake of shelter, to cut their tops over, in order to make the hedges 

 thicker of branches. Such cutting of the upright shoots, however, is not of any great 

 use in this respect ; because every hawthorn hedge sends out a number of side shoots, 

 which, if encouraged, by keeping the top wedge-shaped as above, will make it abun- 

 dantly thick." (Sayig, 44*7.) In pruning hedges, some use shears; but the hedge- 

 bill is the most proper instrument, producing a smooth unfractured section, not so apt 

 to throw out a number of small useless shoots which generally follow the crushing cut 

 of the sheers. 



4006. Hedge-row trees require to be pruned to a tall, clean, erect stem, as at once 

 producing more timber, and doing least injury to the ground under their drip and 

 shade. 



4007. Trees in strips for shelter, or screens for concecdment, ought to be furnished with 

 branches, from the bottom upwards; unless undergrowth supply this deficiency. - Where 

 this is not the case, care should be had that the trees be pruned into conical shapes, so 

 as that the lower branches may be as little as possible excluded from the influence of 

 the weather by the upper ones. 



4008. Trees for shade, where shelter from winds is not wanting, should be pruned to 

 ample spreading heads with naked stems ; the stem should be of such a height that the 

 sun's rays, at midday, in midsummer, may not fall within some yards of the base of the 

 trunk ; thus leaving under the trees, as well as on their shady side, a space for the repose 

 of men or cattle. 



SuBSECT. 5. Thinning young Plantations- 



4009. The properly thinning out of plantations, Sang observes, " is a matter of the 

 first importance in their culture. However much attention be paid to the article of 

 pruning, if the plantation be left too thick, it will be inevitably ruined. A circulation 

 of air, neither too great nor too small, is essential to the welfare of the whole. This 

 should not be wanting at any period of the growth of the plantation ; but in cases where 

 it has been prevented by neglect, it should not be admitted all at once, or suddenly. 

 Opening a plantation too much at once, is a sure way to destroy its health and vigour. 

 In thinning, the consideration which should, in all cases predominate, is to cut for the 

 good of the timber left, disregarding the value of the thinnings. For, if we have it in 

 our choice to leave a good, and take away a bad plant or kind, and if it be necessary 

 that one of the two should fall, the only question should be, by leaving which of them 

 shall we do most justice to the laudable intention of raising excellent and full-sized timber 

 for the benefit of ourselves and of posterity ? The worst tree should never be left, but 

 with the view of filling up an accidental vacancy." 



4010. Sabnon, from observations on the most orderly and thriving jjlantations at Woburn, deduces the 

 following rule for thinning : " Keep the distance of the trees from each other equal to one-fifth of their 

 height. In the application of this rule for thinning, it is evident that each individual tree can never be 

 UKulc to comply; for the original distance (even if planted in the most regular order) will allow only of 



