OF PRUNING TREES. 127 



maintained that pruning should not be practised 

 at all, and such a state of management is unques- 

 tionably the best. But how can this be maintained 

 in all cases ? I have known many plantations 

 wherein firs and hard wood were planted originally, 

 but in consequence of the firs having died out, the 

 hard-wood trees were left alone upon the ground at 

 a pretty wide distance from one another, and in this 

 case they spread themselves widely to branches ; 

 consequently, in order to check such a tendency, 

 pruning was absolutely necessary, and this I have 

 frequently done myself, and found its effect most 

 beneficial. Hence many foresters, from having 

 only such sort of plantations to deal with, and not 

 having experienced the effects of a more healthy 

 state of things, have recommended pruning as 

 necessary in all cases. And this brings me to say in 

 conclusion upon this head, that a forester, in order 

 to be so profitably, should be able to judge for him- 

 self how far pruning is advisable in one case and 

 not so in another ; he must take into consideration 

 the situation the trees are growing upon — and if it 

 be a high one he should prune very little indeed, and 

 if a low situation he may use the knife more freely. 

 If the plantation to be pruned has been attended 

 to formerly, there will be very httle difficulty in 

 putting it into proper order; but if it has been 

 neglected, great caution must be exercised in order 

 not to expose the trees suddenly by taking off too 



