OF PRUNING TREES. 105 



has quite the contrary effect. I say immediately 

 from the body of a tree, because the cutting off of 

 a part of a branch is by no means injurious to the 

 health of a tree ; but upon the contrary, when part 

 of a large branch is cut off, the flow of sap to that 

 part is checked, and the body or trunk of the tree 

 is in proportion enlarged. 



During my practice as a forester, I have had 

 extensive opportunity of observing the nature and 

 quality of full-grown timber, as it has been effected 

 by different kinds of management in the way of 

 pruning. Having seen much timber of all ages cut 

 up for different purposes at saw-mills, I have had 

 occasion invariably to observe a practical truth, 

 that wherever branches of above four inches in 

 diameter at their base had been cut from the trunk 

 of the tree, the wood for a considerable way under 

 that part which had been so pruned was worthless 

 and of a black colour ; and where much cutting of 

 large branches had taken place in one individual 

 tree, I have always found such a tree to be scarcely 

 fit for any valuable purpose whatever, when it came 

 to be cut up ; and where the pruning had been done 

 a considerable number of years before the tree was 

 cut down for use, the wounds upon the surface were 

 not easily observable, and in fact, such trees often 

 appear sound to outward appearance; but when the 

 bark is removed, the pruned part is at once observ- 

 able, and the vessels leading from it, down to the 



