544 Timber Tree Plantations at West Dean. 



points are declining. The buds of the ash, being much larger 

 than those of the other forest trees, are of themselves capable 

 of absorbing the superfluous sap. 



Young thriving plantations require to be pruned and thinned 

 every two years. The same method as at the first is followed 

 in all subsequent primings. I afterwards take off some of 

 those side shoots which were left at the first pruning, as many 

 fresh ones will have grown out since. As the trees increase, 

 I take off the lower branches, where they are intended to 

 form a high wood, but those of the park or pleasure grounds 

 of course remain untouched, as their beauty and grandeur 

 depend on their widely extended limbs. 



Where many larch and Scotch firs are interspersed with 

 the forest trees, I remove some of their bottom branches at 

 the first pruning : the spruce fir does not require this. At 

 the second, and all future primings, the bottom branches of 

 every species of fir tree will require great attention. Peculiar 

 care must be taken in thinning the plantations, as the trees 

 will have grown much since the last pruning. The tops of 

 the trees should stand clear of each other, as a free circulation 

 of air is necessary to their health and vigour. When they are 

 20 ft. high they will require to be well thinned, after which 

 but little pruning will be wanted. 



I find early priming and thinning to be essential : where this 

 is neglected the trees make but little progress ; for, being en- 

 cumbered with useless branches, their leaders become stunted. 



I have every reason to be satisfied with my experiments on 

 summer pruning : I begin this operation when the young 

 shoots are from 8 to 10 in. long; if done earlier, the leading 

 shoots cannot dispose of the redundant sap, and many weak 

 useless branches will be thrown out. The trees pruned 

 the preceding winter make vigorous shoots in the spring ; and 

 it is on these trees only that I have practised summer pruning, 

 by taking off their strong side-shoots, as in the winter prun- 

 ing. I suffer some of the small side shoots to remain on ^11 

 the forest trees, except the ash. The shoots at this season 

 being extremely tender, require great care to prevent injury ; 

 and the operation is best performed with a small sharp knife. 

 The damage arising from storms is in a great measure pre- 

 vented by this priming. 



The growth of the trees which have been submitted to 

 summer priming far exceeds that of the others, especially the 

 ash. Some of the leaders of the latter are upwards of 6 ft. 

 long, strong and firm. 



1 first made the experiment of summer pruning in June 

 1828. The trees were about 6 ft. high; in the autumn of 



