CHAPTER XXII. 



Pruning Forest Tress. 



The prmung of forest trees is a work which, if judiciously and carefully 

 executed, will repay in after years fifty-fold the expense put upon it. 

 Of its utility there can he no doubt ; but it is a branch of forestry which 

 requires years of training and observation to execute with judgment and 

 advantage to the crop being operated on. Men not accustomed to the 

 work are apt, without thought, and from their not knowing better, to 

 materially damage a plantation of trees by what may simply be called 

 injudicious pruning. 



In the arboricultural world with which we come in contact, there are 

 found men who advocate severe pruning; others, that the operation 

 should be carried on upon a moderate scale ; and others again who say 

 that pruning shotdd not be done at all. For my own part I must say 

 that experience has advised me to recommend the moderate pruning of 

 trees only. 



There can be no greater mistake made in the rearing of plantations 

 than that of severe and indiscriminate pruning. There is, I think, 

 a mania for this sort of thing with many people in this coimtry. How 

 often do we find fine, healthy, and well-balanced trees for ever spoiled 

 by the too-free use of the knife ? I can point to a case where I was 

 invited in to see what was described as a "magnificent" specimen 

 of a year-old Tasmanian Bluegum tree. On inspection, I fo\md a 

 whipstich-loo^u^ afiair, about 12ft. high, all the branches pruned ofi 

 close to the trunk, and the stem itself not more than one inch in diameter. 

 This was a case of very injudicious pruning to a certainty. It must not 

 be forgotten that the leaves act as. stomachs to plants, and that therefore, 

 if too large an amount of leaf surface is removed from a tree, this is sure 

 to have a very injurious effect upon its health. 



Of course, because mistakes of this kind are made, there is no reason 

 why these should weigh against the judicious application of the system. 

 They only serve as beacons, warning us against their repetition. 



It has now been clearly proved, after a long period of years of experi- 

 ments, that judicious pruning improves the quality of the timber at 

 maturity, as against that which has been allowed to grow in accordance 

 with nature. This was ascertained by selecting two blocks of plantation 

 close to one another, planted at the same time, and with the same 

 kinds of trees. One portion was carefully pruned and thinned and 

 otherwise properly seen to, while the other portion was allowed to take 



