110 THE NATURE AND PRACTICE 



appearance of gaining strength, upon the top or 

 main shoot ; but it should be particularly observed, 

 that this pruning ought never to be allowed to be 

 done until the young trees have decidedly estab- 

 lished themselves in the ground, and are in a 

 vigorous healthy state of growth ; for, if it be 

 done while the trees are in a sickly state, no advan- 

 tage will be gained, but, upon the contrary, much 

 injury will be done. 



I have now given a statement of the manner of 

 proceeding with pruning operations, in the case of 

 young trees about to be planted out into the forest ; 

 and also the treatment they ought to receive after 

 being five or six years established in the ground. 

 There may, however, be, — and, indeed, too often 

 are, — cases where hard-wood trees, while young, 

 have been entirely neglected; and, seeing this, it 

 will be proper to consider the treatment that such 

 ought to receive. I shall first suppose that we have 

 to do with a plantation of young hard-wood trees, 

 which had received no pruning at all previous to 

 being planted; and we shall further suppose, that 

 the trees are oaks, and of five or six years' standing 

 in the forest grounds. Upon examining the state 

 of young hard-wood trees of the description above 

 mentioned, it will be observed, that the greater part 

 of them have died down to the part resting upon 

 the surface of the ground, and that from this part 

 a number of branches have issued, each contending 



