162 REARING UP AND THINNING 



As soon as they approach each other too closely, 

 the firs should at once be sacrificed. At the same 

 time, however, attention must be paid to see that 

 this be done gradually ; perhaps looking over and 

 taking out a few firs every year, as occasion may 

 require, and as the hard-wood trees advance. 



The great art in rearing up hard- wood trees for 

 lawn scenery, is, first, not to prune off any branch 

 after the trees are fairly established in the ground, 

 and about eight or ten feet high. Second, the firs, 

 which act as nurses, should never be allowed to 

 spread themselves upon the branches of the hard- 

 wood, but should merely stand by, for the salce of 

 shelter. Third, observe what sorts of hard-wood 

 trees appear to thrive best upon the ground, and 

 encourage those most which appear to do best; and, 

 at the same time, wherever any particular sort of 

 hard-wood does not appear to do well upon the soil, 

 leave firs in their place. A few good specimens of 

 firs look well among hard-wood. Fourth, when the 

 hard-wood trees have advanced so far as to require 

 all the firs to be removed to give them room, and 

 when they begin even to encroach too much upon 

 each other, cut out several of themselves also, and 

 continue to do so until the trees have attained the 

 age of forty years, after which period it will not 

 be found necessary to thin much, if they have been 

 well attended to formerly. Fifth, in the act of thin- 

 ning out trees intended for park and lawn scenery, 



