Cree's Si/sfem of Pnming Forest Trees. 449 



years before the cutting off of the branches shall be discontinued, 

 so as to give a more extended top to the tree ; for all trees that 

 have naturally conical heads, such as the willow, poplar, larch, 

 silver and spruce fir, require longer heads than those trees that 

 are of a spreading nature, such as the oak, beech, and others. 

 But no branch, wherever it be situated, is to be cut off close to 

 the stem, until such branch stands upon the undermost tier. 

 In this mode of shortening the branches, it will be seen that 

 the tree will at all times present a head of nearly a conical form ; 

 and advantao^e should also be taken of shortening such branches 

 as will balance the tree best, and produce the proper shape of 

 the top. But, in shortening the branches, too much should 

 never be done in one year ; nor will it be necessary to do so, 

 provided the trees are attended to in the regular manner I have 

 described. 



Many advantages resulting from this mode of shortening the 

 branches may suggest themselves to the careful enquirer. It is 

 well known, that when a part is taken off from the leading shoot 

 of a tree, however small that part may be, the growth of the 

 remaining part of that shoot is greatly impaired, and is never 

 afterwards able to keep pace in growth with the other branches. 

 But the new leading shoot which springs out in consequence of 

 the other having been impaired, and the part of the stem at 

 which it springs out and downwards, will be found to increase in 

 a greater proportion than even lateral branches of greater mag- 

 nitude than this new leading shoot. It thus appears that the 

 greatest part of the energies of the tree is naturally directed 

 through the main stem chiefly to the leading shoot ; and where 

 a tree has two leading shoots or more, these energies are divided 

 amongst them. Or where there are large branches with many 

 subordinate branches upon them, these will also divide the 

 efforts of the growth of the tree, and retain an undue proportion 

 of them. Now, it appears, as has already been observed, that 

 the growth of any particular branch or leading shoot may be 

 greatly debilitated by merely shortening it. Nay, it will even be 

 found, that to cut off the bud of a leading shoot, this purpose 

 will, to a certain extent, be accomplished. But we must ever bear 

 in mind, that any great dismembering of the vegetable structure 

 must operate upon many of its functions, and hence is often 

 found to prove injurious to its growth. Whatever is done, 

 therefore, ought to be done gradually ; and this method of 

 shortening the branches, which I have explained, paves the way 

 for their final amputation. 



I have endeavoured to explain the important part which the 

 leaves perform in the elaboration of the proper juice. Now, by 

 this mode of shortening the branches, a number of smaller 

 subordinate branches will still be left upon the shortened branch 



G G 2 



