PRUNING. ot 
earth. ‘This is only necessary for winter protection. The neglect 
to properly heel in nursery stock as soon as it is received is 
undoubtedly a frequent cause of failure. 
Trees and cuttings will sometimes get so dry in shipment 
that the bark shrivels. In such cases the best treatment is to 
Figure 17. Heeling-in. Various stages of the operation: Row of trees 
with roots covered; row bent down and the tops covered. 
bury them entirely for a few days, which will often enable them 
to recover, Soaking in water will answer the same purpose, but 
unless very carefully done is likely to injure the wood. 
PRUNING. 
Pruning should be avoided as much as possible, and yet be 
done sufficiently to secure the effect desired. If it is begun early 
in the life of a tree no large branches need ever be removed, the 
most desirable pruning being the directing of the growth by 
pinching off the buds that would develop into undesirable 
branches; but this is impracticable on a large scale, and for this 
reason, in ordinary practice, it is often necessary to do more 
extensive pruning, 
The Purpose in Pruning Trees is to give them forms 
that are desirable for the purpose intended. For example, a tree 
for the lawn or windbreak may be most desirable when covered 
with branches even down to the ground, while street trees should 
have a trunk free from branches for eight or ten feet from the 
ground. Many of the evergreens, and some other trees used for 
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