44 



There are several advantages arising from judicious pruning. 

 Whenever a branch dies, it not only ceases to benefit the tree, but 

 becomes a drain on its sap and vitality, as an ulcer to the human 

 body. The same is true, to some extent, with a diseased branch. 

 Moreover, as a branch begins to die, its fermenting sap is slowly taken 

 up into the general circulation, and so the disease extends itself some- 

 times to the entire tree, unless it be cut off below the sound wood. This 

 is especially the case when the frost has partially killed the young 

 wood. The writer has known quite vigorous trees to be killed, not 

 only to the ground, but entirely, by neglect at this point. The open 

 head not only gives room for the free circulation of air through the 

 branches, but also enables the gardener to watch the trunk and larger 

 branches and remove from them insects that might prove damaging. 

 Another advantage arising from the open head is, it causes the lower 

 branches to extend themselves far out from the trunk, and so gives a 

 greater bearing capacity to the tree. Trees in the grove of the writer 

 pruned after this plan have doubled within two years, in their surface 

 area, others standing by their side with the same treatment, except that 

 the latter were not pruned. 



