120 THE CANADIAN FORESTER S 



"When an unusually large branch has to be severed, it 

 should not be done at once, but at several times, in order 

 not to disturb too abruptly the circulation of the sap. 

 First, cut off the branch one or two feet from the stem, 

 and a few months afterwards take it off close. Engraving 

 105, p. 121, will give a good idea of the operation, the 



103.— Branch pruner 



dotted line a a showing the first cut, and b b the second. 

 If the large branch pruned in this way has been skil- 

 fully removed, the wound, at the expiration of two 

 years, will have the appearance shown in engraving 106, 

 same page, where the swelling of the newly formed bark 

 is seen around the healed wound. A 

 well pruned tree at the end of some 

 years only exhibits where the cut was 

 made a part of the bark smoother 

 than the rest, and a slight crack 

 closed at the place where the lips 

 of the swelling of the new bark have 

 united (see engraving 101, p. 122). 

 To prevent the branch you are prun- 

 p ing from splitting, by breaking with 

 its own weight in falling, a cut is 



104. — Long handled branch oi i ii i • -i i*iii 



pruner. nrst made on the under side, a Jittle 



lower than opposite the upper cut (see engraving 108, 

 same page). 



The branch musjt be always cut off close to the trunk 

 of the tree. If the branch retains a stump it will dry 

 up, and a tree with many stumps presents the miserable 

 appearance of the engraving 109, p. 123, at a b c. If we 



