Crees Si/stem of Pninmg Forest Trees. 455 



the sycamore and birch should be pruned in January, the Scotch 

 fir in September or October, and the larch may be divested of 

 its decayed branches at any period when it can be done with a 

 blunt instrument. 



From the limits to which this essay is necessarily prescribed, 

 I have been able only to give a rapid, and, I am therefore afraid, 

 a somewhat imperfect outline of my system. To have done 

 complete justice to the subject, a particular account ought to 

 have been given of the manner of pruning trees, under their dif- 

 ferent modifications, as influenced by climate, soil, situation, and 

 the like ; and not only every species, but aluiost every variety of 

 tree, ought to be brought under particular notice. In a gene- 

 ralised account such as this, therefore, and, indeed, in almost 

 every case of pruning, a certain latitude, exercised in a judicious 

 manner, must be taken by the pruner, so as fully to reap the 

 benefit of the system under any particular situation or circum- 

 stance in which the w^oods may be placed. 



To many, and to those in particular who may have paid little 

 attention to their woods, the scheme of management which I 

 have laid down may appear to be attended with too much trou- 

 ble and expense for them ever to muster courage to attempt 

 following it out. That it is attended both with trouble and 

 expense, I am at once ready to admit ; but, for these to be ob- 

 jections of sufficient weight to set this system aside, it would be 

 necessary to show that the trouble and expense are not realised 

 by the superior value of the ultimate crop, a thing which cannot 

 be shown. Let us observe what expense attends the production 

 of many of the farmei-'s common crops, and, in particular, what 

 additional trouble he must bestow on many of his drilled green 

 crops : but the practice in his case is a common one, and there- 

 fore it is not alarming ; and, besides, the farmer knows well, 

 that the more care he bestows upon his crops, the surer is he of 

 a better return. Now, ihe case of woods is quite a parallel 

 one. Where they are improperly managed, or altogether ne- 

 glected, they will seldom afford a bare return, and often be at- 

 tended with a sheer loss : whereas, where they are properly 

 managed, they will not only repay the additional expense 

 bestowed upon them, but will, besides, realise to the proprietor 

 a handsome profit. 



The history of the mode of pruning which I have endeavoured 

 above briefly to explain can be given in a kw words. If I can 

 say that I was indebted to any person or writer, either directly 

 or indirectly, for the idea of my system, it was to the account 

 given by Lord Kames of the manner of pruning hedges, by 

 cutting off only a part of the lateral twigs. And, upon reflec- 

 tion, it appeared to me, that a principle of this kind, in some 

 shape or other, might be beneficially applied to the pruning of 



