PRUNING. 



97 



earth. This is only necessary for winter protection. The neglect 

 to properly heel in nursery stock as soon as it is received is 

 undoubtedly a frequent cause of failure. 



Trees and cuttings will sometimes get so dry in shipment 

 that the bark shrivels. In such cases the best treatment is to 





Figure 17. Heeling-in. Various stages of the operation: 

 ith roots covered; row bent down and the tops covered. 



Row of trees 



bury them entirely for a few days, which will often enable them 

 to recover. Soaking in water will answer the same purpose, but 

 unless very carefully done is likely to injure the wood. 



PRUNING. 



Pruning should be avoided as much as possible, and yet be 

 done sufficiently to secure the effect desired. If it is begun early 

 in the life of a tree no large branches need ever be removed, the 

 most desirable pruning being the directing of the growth by 

 pinching off the buds that would develop into undesirable 

 branches; but this is impracticable on a large scale, and for this 

 reason, in ordinary practice, it is often necessary to do more 

 extensive pruning. 



The Purpose in Pruning Trees is to give them forms 

 that are desirable for the purpose intended. For example, a tree 

 for the lawn or windbreak may be most desirable when covered 

 with branches even down to the ground, while street trees should 

 have a trunk free from branches for eight or ten feet from the 

 ground. Many of the evergreens, and some other trees used for 

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