ILLUSTRATED GUIDE. 119 



CHAPTEE XVII. 



CARE OF TREES AFTER PLANTING ; PRUNING, ETC. 



"When once a plantation has been well established, it 

 must be kept in good order. For the first four years, at 

 least, the land must be kept free from weeds. For this 

 the grubber and the horse-hoe are the most suitable im- 

 plements. In general, after four years, the trees afford 

 sufficient shade to render any further cultivation unne- 

 cessary ; still, the work of pruning remains to be done. 



In speaking of this operation, I do not mean to say 

 that pruning is, in all cases, absolutely necessary. On 

 the contrary ; in my opinion, if the close-planting system 

 be followed, very little pruning will be required. When 

 the trees are young, those branches which have a ten- 

 dency to grow out of shape and to derange the symme- 

 try of the tree and the balance of its growth, must be 

 pinched off. If this is carefully done, no subsequent 

 pruning will be wanted, unless on account of accidents 

 caused by the winds, animals, etc. 



But, as these accidents happen pretty frequently, I will 

 describe the tools used for pruning, without injuring, the 

 trees, as well as the manner and season for using them. 

 A common saw, a cutter (1) (see engraving 103, p. 120), for 

 the smaller branches within reach, and another cutter 

 placed at the end of a long handle, as shown in eng. 104, 

 same page, are all that need be employed. The last is 

 intended to cut the higher branches which, even with a 

 ladder, would be difficult to reach. Every time the saw 

 is used, the wound should be trimmed with a knife, to 

 pare off the roughness left by the 'saw, which would 

 retain the wet. 



(1) Called, I believe, by the opprobrious term ot averruncator. — Trs. 



