174 FOREST PLANTATIONS. [Jan. 



another inftrument, the long-fhafted chisel, and, 

 with it, pushes his barbarous purpofe upwards as 

 far as poflible. * He then leaves the tree a woful 

 monument of his ftrength and his ignorance, in a 

 flate infinitely worfe than it was in before he be- 

 gan to it. It is a thoufand to one, if it be divid- 

 ed into two ftems at the bottom, if he has not 

 done it the important fervice of lopping off the 

 bed limb, and leaving that which is weakeft and 

 word formed ! At all events, he leaves it top- 

 heavy like a mop on the top of a pole to be 

 buffeted by every wind ; and has mangled and 

 enfeebled its trunk by the infliction of many un- 

 neceflary wounds. 



But while we mention thefe barbarous practices, 

 alike difgraceful to the employer and the! employ- 

 ed alike followed with lofs to the immediate 

 proprietor and to the nation we are far from 

 fetting down every proprietor, and every forefter, 

 as guilty of fuch reprehenfible conduct. We have 

 known in both clafies, for many years, perfons 

 who not only underflood the proper methods of 

 pruning, but practifed them, to the manifefl ad- 

 vantage of the trees under their care. 



It is not, then, here pretended to fet forth fome 



new 



* Plate I. fig. 2. shows a tree so pruned, contrasted with 

 another, fig. 1. (same plate) of the same age, properly 

 pruned. 



