l6o THE NEW FORESTRY. 



to the tops it will help ,to promote girth without encouraging 

 side growth, the stage being passed at which lateral growth 

 may be feared. Oaks and some other broad-leaved species 

 do sometimes push out a twiggy growth from their trunks in 

 old age, ;When the forest becomes thin, but they hardly affect 

 the quality of the timber. In conclusion, it may just be added 

 that much will depend on general management and a proper 

 comprehension of his duties by the forester. The lines of 

 management are easily understood and should not be departed 

 from. The foundation of the crop is laid at the beginning. 

 The aim should be not so much a crop of mature timber at 

 some indefinite period, but a remunerative return from the 

 plantation as soon as possible. 



SECTION IV. — PRUNING. 



The pruning of forest trees is not necessary, except in 

 mixtures of ill-matched species, in which the weaker subjects 

 have to be preserved at the stronger ones' expense, and such 

 mixtures are condemned, for these reasons, in another chapter. 



Pruning is only required in the case of park and ornamental 

 trees from which limbs have to be removed because of injury 

 to them, or for some other reason. In pruning such trees, 

 projecting stumps should not be left. The limb to be removed 

 should be cut back to the next main limb or growing point, 

 and whether that point be at another limb or at the main trunk, 

 the cut should not be made flush with the bark of either, but 

 at the swell or ring of bark which is usually found at the junc- 

 tion of a limb with the limb from which it springs. This leaves 

 a slight knob, the cut is of less diameter, occlusion sets in 

 sooner, and the wound is soon healed. VVounds soon heal up 

 in growing trees, but much depends on their size and the age 

 of the tree. Decay sets in where limbs have been broken off, 

 and often extends several feet down the limb or bole, reducing 

 the value of the tree. Purchasers probe such wounds with 

 flexible steel probes to ascertain their extent In treating 

 wounds caused by pruning, or anything else, care should be 

 taken to seal them up with some kind of styptic, like wood 

 pitch, black varnish, or white lead. If pruning is done in early 

 winter, when the sap is down, wounds soon dry and may be 

 painted over or plugged to exclude air or water. The margin 

 of bark round the wound must not, however, be touched by the 

 paint, but just smoothed by the knife ana so left. A roll of 

 new tissue soon begins to form round the edges of the wound, 

 which in time is quite covered over. 



