196 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



DECEMBER 31, 1834. 



From l.oudoKs Gardener's Magazine. 

 CBI-TIVATION OP TREES FOR TIMBER. 



Brief Observations on Preparing the Ground for Plant- 

 in/r, on Pruning, and on the Cultivation of Trees for 

 Timher. By Mr. Geobge Burton. 

 It has been coiiteiided by soine, that a well- 

 prepared soil and good culture occasion a too ha.sty 

 growth, and, consequently, the deterioration, of 

 timber; and, by others, thai the fibre of the wood 

 is strengthened" by a vigorous growth, and that 

 the best culture w'ill, with a suitable soil, give the 

 best timber. Now, neither of these opinions is 

 entirely correct ; for, when the ultimate bulk of a 

 tree is compared with that produced in the first 

 twenty years of its growth, it is of little conse- 

 quence, perhaps, to the converter [the manufac- 

 turer of the rude tree into forms fit for the use of 

 the carpenter, &c.], if it is sound, whether it grew 

 quickly or slowly, nor will, that be inquired after; 

 and the best culture does not affect the growth of 

 the jdant, perhaps, beyond that period, as the cul- 

 tivated ground is then filled with roots, and the 

 plant must thenceforth depend on the substratum 

 for its support. I speak here particularly of the 

 oak. But there are two points which make it de- 

 sirable that a ))lantatioii should grow rapidly in its 

 infant slate: the first is, the satisfaction which 

 the proprietor derives from seeing it thrive, as also 

 from drawing a quicker return of profit by tlip 

 earlier cutting down of the nurses ; the second is 

 of still greater importance, as a plant growing 

 freely for the first twenty years is sure to give a 

 greater length of stem than one that is stunted ; 

 as we find that those subjects, both in the animal 

 and vegetable creation, generally arrive at the 

 greatest perfection, which are well supplied with 

 nourishment in their early state. Although tim- 

 ber may be harder and closer in the grain by a 

 slow growth, and well suited for many purposes in 

 common life ; yet it is only on soils and situations 

 that are favorable to free growth, that we can ob- 

 tain trees of sufficiently large dimensions to be 

 suitable for the various purposes of civil and naval 

 architecture. 



In every case, tlien, for the rearing of the best 

 sorts of deciduous forest tree'fe, a preparation of the 

 soil, by trenching, is to he preferred where practi- 

 cable ; and the liberal use of the hoe, and even 

 shallow digging in the winter, for three or four 

 years after planting, will mucli benefit the i)huUs : 

 at the end of which period, if the plantation has 

 gone on well, these may be discontinued, as the 

 trees will then nearly meet. It is to be inuler- 

 stood that the i)lants are to be put in about 4 feet 

 apart, and not less than 3 feet, according to soil 

 laid situation. 



Pruning will next become necessary : but here, 

 MS in llie case of preparation of the soil, men are 

 divided in their opinions, some recommending one 

 mode, and some another; but all concurring in this, 

 that the object aimed at is, to obtain tall, clean, 

 and sound limber; and, certainly, no object is of 

 greater importance to the interests of this kingdom. 

 The barbarous practice of cutting to 'within 1 

 foot, or less, of the bole, leaving stumps or siuigs, 

 is now nearly exploded in theory ; yet is grievous 

 to sec that it is still too commonly practised in 

 most parts of the kingdom, to the no small injury 

 of the timber : so difficult is it to get out of estab- 

 lished habits, even when these are known to be 

 pernicious. The present observations may, then, 

 be limited to an inquiry as to the conq)araiive 

 merits of the close pruning and the foreshortening 



methods ; or whether both may not be blended 

 together in' practice, according to circumstances, 

 in order to obtain tall stems as free from knots and 

 other defects as the case will admit of, in conjinic- 

 tion with the health of the plant, and the object 

 of prolonging its growth to the longest possible 

 period. 



It may be observed here, that no branch, from 

 the size of the finger upwards, can be severed from 

 the trunk without a proportionate injury being 

 sustained; decay to where the branch first had its 

 origin being the certain consequence of removal : 

 cunsiqucnti'y, the larger the branch is at the 

 time of in-uning, the greater will be the injury 

 sustained by the timber. This may be verified by 

 inspection of the growing subject, even when the 

 wound has been healed over for a few years, by 

 boring into the part with a small auger or large 

 gimlet ; or by the converter, when the saw is ap- 

 plied. But, if the branch or shoot be taken off in 

 its infant state, and when not more than an inch 

 in diameter, the injury will be less in proportion ; 

 anil, in fact, a small speck only (which is but of 

 trilling consequence) will appear in the timber. 



If a purpose cannot be obtained without some 

 sacrifice, it is wise and prudent to adopt that plan 

 which will cause the least: therefore, at the age 

 of three or four years after planting, let a (ii\'/ of 

 the largest branches be cut off close, and also any 

 that may have become competitors of the leadmg 

 shoot ; being careful, however, not to remove too 

 many in one season, but to leave a sufficiency to 

 keep the plant in vigor, and to carry it forward 

 with strength of stem in proportion to its'height; 

 for, unless a sufficiency of branches be left, this 

 necessary end will not be obtained. This process 

 ought to be performed annually ; or, at most, every 

 two years, when the shoots to be removed will 

 seldom exceed ah inch in diameter. The best 

 time for this operation is in the spring, before the 

 flow of the sap commences. It will not nnfre- 

 quenlly happen that a strong shoot will present 

 itself, "which it may not be prudent immediately to 

 displace, as it would leave the jilant too nakeil in 

 that part. In such case have recourse to fore- 

 shortening, taking off a third or a half down to a 

 leader. This will check its luxuriance ; and it 

 may so remain for a year or two, when, the plant 

 having formed more branches upward, it may then 

 be cut off close. Thus proceed by degrees, as 

 the tree gains height, until it reaches a point, 

 where, from soil and situation, it ceases to ad- 

 vance : pruning is then no longer necessary ; the 

 head will form, and the tree will go on enlarging 

 in girth so long as health and vigor continue. 



In the foreshortening method of i)runing, na- 

 ture is partly left to do her own work ; as the sup- 

 porli.'rs of this system take it for granted that, 

 when a branch is retrenched, it will gradually de- 

 cline in vigor, and at last die and fall off, without 

 any assistance of ours: but we are not yet told at 

 what period we may expect this to take i)lace. 

 Until this is done, we proceed upon uncertain da- 

 ta ; and, so long us the branch so foreshortened 

 continues, so long must the defect of the presence 

 of a knot remain ; and, even at last, when decay 

 takes jilace, some years may elapse before the re- 

 mains fall ofl' close to the stem ; and even then 

 the part has to be healed over, and a portion of 

 decayed wood will still be left within the bole. 

 The c.\clusion of light and air, by close planting, 

 will do much to facilitate the end jiroposed by 

 this plan ; but to maintain the plant in a proper 



state, it must have space sufficient, so as not to be 

 forced up too hastily. 



There are, however, many eases where fore- 

 shortening may be practised with great advantage, 

 as in hedgerow timber, where it is desirable to 

 keep the, head within moderate bounds; also in 

 woods, where the undergrowth is in request as 

 cover for game ; and in places where copsewood 

 is of more than ordinary value ; as, by due atten- 

 tion to this mode of pruning, the head of the tree 

 may be kept conical, instead of flat, and an equal 

 extent of surface be presented to the atmosphere for 

 the benefit of the planti The foreshortening meth- 

 od should also be practised in all cases where it is 

 wished to curtail or retrench randiling branches. 



These leading points kept in view, they will 

 embrace most cases connected with the rearing of 

 timber, so as to render it tall in the stem, and as 

 sound and free from other defects as circumstances 

 of soil and situation will admit; so that, by close 

 priming generally, and foreshortening occasionally, 

 they may be so combined as to produce the mosi 

 fiivorable results. 



It may here be remarked that the defect called 



wind-shakes, which is often imputed to soil, more 



frequently proceeds from trees being drawn i\\ 



too weak when young, and afterwards suddenly 



exposed by the removal of all the underwood a 



once; which, from its being often permitted ti 



stand uncut too long, increases the evil. Th( 



same defect is also produced, at a more advancer 



age, when part of a wood is cut down, by the sud 



den exposure of those which are left, to the effect 



of every blast. Another evil attends sudden ex 



posure," from the cold acting on the sap-vessels an 



the sap, and preventing its propulsion or ascen 



and, consequently, depriving part of the plant c 



the degree of nourishment which it had been ac 



customed to receive. Hence we see frequenll 



dead-topped old trees, and stunted young ones, t 



also the evil of a profusion of small lateral brand 



es breaking out from the trunk ; which latter oi 



currenee often arises, also, from injudicious an 



excessive pruning, which, as well as sudden ei 



posure, ought to be guarded against, keeping i 



mind that prevention is better than cure. Bu 



above all, as the principal cause of decay and ro 



teimess in the stem is from injudicious lopping c 



of large branches, let that be avoided, except 



cases where foreshortening or terminal prunin 



for certain purposes, may be resorted to. 



At the expiralion of four years from the time 

 planting, if the plantation have iirospercd, and tl 

 plants be beginning to meet, it will be necessa 

 lo commence thinning: but this is shamefully nc 

 lected in too many places, often to the total ruin 

 the whole plantation. It is here taken for grant' 

 that the plants were put out not wider than 4 

 nor less than 3 ft. asunder ; that the nurses cons 

 principally of larch, spruce fir, birch, and t 

 Scotch pine, where the soil is light and the siti 

 tion exposed ; and in certain places, where s 

 and situation are suitable, and underwood is wai 

 ed as a cover for game, or for other valuable pi 

 poses, that the hazel has been freely planted : 

 general about three nurses to one principal will 

 a due proportion, probably the birch and lar 

 may have taken the lead, and it may be proper 

 begin the thinning with them. No specific ru 

 however, can be given for this operation, as it v 

 depend on the relative growth of the plants. 1 

 principals should always be kept clear, so that 

 branches of the nurses do not overhang or ini 



