PRUNING FOKEST TREES. 



71 



shoots, for fear of destroying the natural symmetry of the 

 tree, and while it may have this efEect for a short time, 

 a new leader is certain to come in and take the place of 

 the one removed, hut during the time intervening, the 

 'lateral branches will spread out more vigorously, giving 

 to the tree a more stocky appearance. In pruning the 

 coarser growing pines, a little more care is required than 

 with arbor- vitse, spruces, and other closely allied trees, 

 for the reason that buds are not usually produced on the 

 internodes between the nodes or joints, and when a lead- 

 • ing shoot, either the terminal one on the main stem, or 

 branches, is removed, it should 

 be cut out close down to the 

 junction of the next tier of 

 branches below, leaving no bar- 

 ren stump to die and decay. A 

 glance at a pine tree will be 

 enough for even a novice in 

 such matters, to see how it 

 should be pruned, in order to 

 make it grow more compact 

 and stocky, if such a change 

 is desired. 



IMPLEMENTS USED IN PRUNING. 



The common pruning knife 

 is the best implement for 

 pruning small trees, but in re- 

 moving large branches, a fine- ^Jg- 24.— a hahdt laddee. 

 tooth saw should be used in preference to an axe. If 

 the wounds made are so large that they will not soon be 

 covered with a new growth, it is well to apply some kind 

 of wax, paint or some other substance, to exclude water 

 and prevent decay. Various compositions are used for 

 this purpose, and on small trees where the exposed wood 

 can be readily reached, a little melted grafting-wax, ap- 



