Preventive System of pruning Forest Trees. 41 



purposes such produce is generally converted to, without any 

 waste or loss; also in pleasure-grounds, ornamental plant- 

 ations, parks, and even orchards, as most of the ornamental 

 flowering trees and shrubs may be trained with clear straight 

 stems to various heights, as fancy or taste may suggest, which 

 would increase the various forms of which they are susceptible. 

 Some might be trained to form handsome tall trees, others of 

 a less stature, and others again left as shrubs ; so that some 

 would appear taller in the rear of others. Then, when it 

 became necessary to remove or cut any away for future 

 improvements, alterations, &c, the stems of such trees would 

 be valuable to the turner and cabinet-maker, and for various 

 other uses. 



How easy, for instance, would it be to train the Portugal 

 laurel to a fine straight stem, by pinching or breaking out the 

 terminal or leading buds at from 1 8 in. to 2 or 3 ft. from the 

 stem, or cutting in the terminal shoots at that distance, till 

 the stem had arrived to any height at which it might be thought 

 desirable to begin to form the head ; when the small side 

 branches could be taken off, and, in a year or two, the stem 

 would assume a clean smooth appearance when the small 

 wounds were healed over. Then we should have some fine 

 Portugal laurel trees, instead of those great spreading bushes 

 with several naked branches. 



The common laurel might be trained by the same method ; 

 also the laburnum, the hawthorn, bird-cherry or hag-berry, 

 crab, and holly; in fact, any of our common ornamental 

 flowering trees and strongest shrubs. Various kinds of fruit 

 trees raised from seeds may be introduced into woods, and 

 trained by this system to valuable timber trees. Especially to 

 the walnut tree, whose timber is so valuable, it would be of 

 very great advantage ; also to the locust, whose branches are 

 so brittle and liable to be broken by the wind ; to the tulip 

 tree, Oriental and Occidental plane trees ; in short, to any of 

 the hardy, deciduous, exotic, forest trees. 



Also, what immense advantage to the evergreen tribe ! 

 What tall straight trees of the cedar of Lebanon, the American 

 red cedar, or any other sorts, might be raised by this system, 

 with clear stems free from knots to any height, if the terminal 

 buds were broken off, or a part of the terminal shoots cut or 

 pinched off" at 2 ft. or 3 ft. from the stem, and continued to be 

 shortened till the stem had arrived to 10, 20, or 30 ft. high, as 

 may be the wish of the proprietor of them ! When the trees 

 had arrived to a sufficient height above the length of the in- 

 tended clear stem, the shortened small branches should be 

 taken off, as directed for the Portugal laurel : then there 



