44- 4f Cree's System of Fruning Forest Trees. 



wields the pen with much ease, and will, I apprehend, like a true 

 naval man, as well as a naval timber writei', not easily be over- 

 come. But always playing at long bowls will be of little service 

 to the public. Let us, therefore, at once come to point blank 

 distances, as ships are made to do when well commanded, and 

 show by actual workmanship which of the systems will be of 

 most advantage to the country. Let the trees which have been 

 pruned under my system, and those pruned under Mr. Matthew's 

 system, be examined by a body of men quairfied to judge, to be 

 mutually chosen : or, should Mr. Matthew have no trees to 

 show pruned under his system, let us both commence our work 

 of pruning together; and let it be a distinct stipulation in the 

 compact, that whatever decision regarding the respective merits 

 of the systems these individuals may come to, that decision shall 

 be laid before the public. 

 Biggar, September 8. 1831. 



Art. VI. On Pruning Forest Trees. By Gavin Cree, 

 Nurseryman, Biggar 



To its woods a country owes much of its beauty ; they temper 

 the severity of the climate for the benefit both of the flocks and 

 the crops of the husbandman. But in a no less important point 

 are woods to be viewed, from their economic value. As timber 

 they are extensively, nay, iniiversally, employed in all the me- 

 chanical arts ; and hence the proprietor of woods has to look to 

 them not only as an interesting, but as a highly valuable, species 

 of property. 



Woods are so extensively grown, that there are few landed 

 properties, however small they may be, where they are not to 

 be found to a greater or less extent, either planted by the 

 hand of man, or the spontaneous production of nature. And 

 as it must be obvious that a vast body of people, either as pro- 

 prietors or as having woods under their charge, must feel an 

 interest in the proper mode of management of this species of 

 property, I trust that you will readily give a place to the follow- 

 ing observations on one of the principal subdivisions of this 

 extensive subject — Pruning. That the management of woods 

 is not well understood, or at least but imperfectly attended to, 

 and therefore that the remarks which I am about to state are not 

 uncalled for, may readily be admitted, if we may be allowed to 

 judge from the present state in which a great majority of woods 

 are to be found. I am sure, indeed, that any person of ordinary 

 observation will agree with me in saying that the mode of 

 management bestowed upon woods, in most places, is far behind 

 its sister art, the agricultural operations of the field. But 



