106 ELEMENTARY FORESTRY. 



lower branches, which may be removed in a year or two with- 

 out injury to the tree. 



(3) After pruning paint the wounds with good white lead 

 paint to keep the wood from decaying and the injuries from 

 thus becoming permanent. This is not so necessary on very 

 hardy trees as on those that are somewhat tender. 



(4) Where branches rub together it is generally best to 

 remove one of them. 



(5) Where bad crotches are being formed by the develop- 

 ment of two leaders, severely check the growth of one of them 

 by shortening it, thus throwing more sap into the other and 

 making it the leading shoot. 



(6) Prevent the formation of long branches by shorten- 

 ing them. This is especially desirable with the Soft Maple 

 which has a tendency to form long branches that are likely to 

 break oft' unless occasionally pruned. 



(7) Where trees have lost their leaders, pruny so as to 

 develop one of the side branches into a leading shoot. This 

 the tree always attempts to do itself, but a little judicious 

 pruning will greatly aid it. 



(8) Every species of trees and shrubs has its own natural 

 form and in pruning do not try to make all of them of one 

 shape, but study the natural form of each kind of tree and 

 encourage the development of this form. 



(9) When trees are full of frost, the wood cracks very 

 easily, therefore do not prune in very cold jtveather for bad 

 wounds may then be easily formed. 



Treatment of Crooked Trees. It is common to have some 

 trees in the nursery that are of vigorous, healthy growth 

 but so crooked as to be nearly worthless. The proper treat- 

 ment for most of our shade trees when in this condition in the 

 nursery, if anything is to be made of them, is to cut them off 

 at the surface of the ground early in the spring and then 

 select one of the good strong sprouts that come from the roots 

 of each tree and train it into a straight stem arid cut away the 

 others. Treated in this way well-formed trees may soon be 

 grown. Such treatment may also be desirable with small 

 street trees that have their stems hopelessly injured. How- 

 ever, trees that to the novice may seem hopelessly crooked 



