106 THE NATURE AND PRACTICE 



roots, are generally found soft and of a black 

 colour. 



Upon the other hand, I have always had occa- 

 sion to observe, as a practical truth, that in the 

 cutting up of trees which had not had their large 

 branches cut off close by the trunk, the timber was 

 of good quality, and sound throughout, excepting 

 where extreme old age had caused natural decay ; 

 and of the truth of this I am perfectly convinced. 

 Therefore, I hereby beg to advise every proprie- 

 tor of plantations, never, as he values their health 

 as timber, to cut clean from the boll of a tree a 

 branch which is more than four inches in diameter 

 at its base. 



Having now pointed out the effects that the 

 amputation of a branch from the trunk of a tree 

 has upon its constitution, I next proceed to detail 

 the method which ought to be practised with prun- 

 ing operations in all cases ; and in order to a right 

 imderstanding of this most important point in ar- 

 boriculture, I shall bring under consideration the 

 pruning of trees, from the time that they are 

 planted out from the nursery, to that of their full 

 growth in the forest, under every variety of circum- 

 stances, as I have had occasion to observe them. 



Many foresters are in the habit of closely prun- 

 ing all young hard-wood trees, particularly elms 

 and oaks, when they are newly taken from the 

 nursery grounds, and preparatory to planting them 



