452 Cree's System of Pnming Forest Trees. 



situation, and soil operate very materially upon the growth of 

 trees ; and these circumstances must be taken into account in 

 assuming the height to which the tree may be expected ulti- 

 mately to arrive. Where, therefore, it is expected that the tree 

 may arrive at a greater height than that given in the table, and 

 this wil], in the majority of cases, be so, the annual pruning 

 should be occasionally omitted, but only for a single year at a 

 time, a considerable period before ; so that, at the full growth of 

 the tree, the proportions of the trunk and head may be as stated 

 above. 



This is the proportion which the head ought to bear to the 

 trunk in forest trees ; but where trees are intended for orna- 

 ment or shelter, a different mode of pruning will require to be 

 adopted. For ornament, the object in general aimed at is to 

 have large heads, with long pendulous branches. In such cir- 

 cumstances, the tree may be pruned to the height of 5, 6, or 

 more feet, as may suit the taste of the individual. The mode of 

 pruning should be that of annually shortening and cutting off 

 the branches, as recommended for forest trees, until they are at 

 the height required. And to produce the conical form of the 

 branches on the head, if that is wished for, the long branches 

 ought to be shortened ; and in those which are of the proper 

 length, but which are not required to be longer, the buds on the 

 extremities of the branches should be cut off. Where shelter 

 alone is wanted, in general the branches should only be shortened; 

 and this will be found in a very material degree to augment the 

 denseness of the branches. By this means, too, trees are enabled 

 to stand closer together without requiring to be thinned, and 

 the under branches also live longer. Trees planted as sheep- 

 stells, as w^ell as in woods and belts of plantations, are, by 

 this mode of shortening the branches, in a great measure pre- 

 vented from suffering by the destructive effects of heavy falls of 

 snow. 



Trees of a considerable size and age, which have been pre- 

 viously neglected, may be greatly improved by the system which 

 I have laid down. But, after the shortenings have been per- 

 formed, a considerable period should be allowed to elapse 

 before the branches are to be cut off close to the stem. And 

 when this is done, especially in the case of large limbs, too 

 much care and attention cannot be observed. The branches 

 should always be cut off with a saw ; and precaution should be 

 taken never to allow the branch to be split off by its own 

 weight, or to injure in any other manner the main stem. 

 Where this may be anticipated, and the branch cannot be 

 propped up during amputation to prevent it, the branch should 

 be removed at two operations : first, by being cut off about 12 

 or 18 inches from the main stem ; and, finally, by being cut off 



