PRUNING. 237 



work never thought of, much less performed. Not- 

 withstanding- this, there is, perhaps, no labour of 

 the forester that would better pay the cost. 



When a fall has been made, and the stuff all cleared 

 away, the new growth is left to rise as it may. A 

 far greater number of shoots are produced by the 

 stubs or stools than can possibly come to perfection. 

 A major part are underlings, which never rise to be 

 useful for any purpose, being ultimately destroyed by 

 the superior shoots. Hence much redundant, crooked, 

 and irregular growth is produced ; the strength of 

 the stools unnecessarily wasted, and consequently 

 injured. 



To prevent all this waste and irregularity of 

 growth, the underwood should be gone over at the 

 end of the first or second year after the fall ; all the 

 most promising shoots selected to stand, and regu- 

 lated as to distance and position, and every supernu- 

 merary displaced. At the same time, all useless 

 plants, as briars, ivy, and travellers' ivy, (Clematis,) 

 which rob and encumber the trees and young growth, 

 should be cut down or eradicated. 



This pruning may be considered a tedious and un- 

 necessary task ; but the very superior stuff obtained 

 by this management, would soon convince a pro- 

 prietor of its great advantages as productive of 

 profit. 



Fruit-tree Pruning. The different methods pur- 

 sued in the cultivation of our superior fruit-trees, 

 render annual pruning necessary. Artificial forms 



