60 TREE CULTURE IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 



To put the matter as concisely as possible, I would mention the fol- 

 lowing as a few of the benefits to be derived from a judicious systeitn of 

 pruning in forest lands generally: — Larger and more valuable dimensions 

 of timber in each individual tree ; a larger and surer crop upon an equal 

 area of land; freer circulation amongst the trees, and consequently cleaner 

 stems and less liability to diseases arising from insects, &c. ; much quicker 

 returns, because the trees will grow larger and quicker when thus confined 

 and shaded ; the timber is less liable to be shaken in the grain than when 

 the trees are growing openly and thus exposed to the influence of the 

 winds at all times ; and the timber is freer of knots and other 

 imperfections. 



As a rule, I decidedly object to the pruning of Coniferous trees, such 

 as pines, cypresses, and junipers. This is, I find, frequently done in the 

 colony, and very much to the injury of the trees, both in a commercial 

 and picturesque point of view. To my mind, there is nothing which 

 creates a greater eyesore, and displays a larger amount of ignoi-ance in 

 the physiology of a pine, than to see it denuded of its branches, and the • 

 mutilated and bleeding stem showing signs of decay and uahealthiness ; 

 yet this is daily to be seen in our metropolis and in places where certainly 

 better things would be expected. 



It is, of course, sometimes necessary to cut out a limb of a pine where 

 two leaders are forming, or to remove dead branches and broken limbs;. 

 but beyond some attention in this way, the pruning of trees of this class 

 should be left to nature by close planting only, as she has a way of 

 her own of "choking" ofi the lower branches of Coniferm without detri- 

 ment to the future prospects of the tree as a timber producer, which the 

 knife in the hands of man can never do in so efficient a manner. 



It may safely be accepted as a point of management in forestry, that 

 nearly all of our deciduous trees will bear the application of the knife. 

 At the same time it must be borne in mind, that close planting is, with 

 this class of tree also, the safest and most efficacious manner by which to 

 curtail the branches. From nature's hands in this wav we secure the 

 best and straightest timber. While this is the case, however, I would 

 endeavor to impress upon my readers the difference, in a pruning point 

 of view, between deciduous and coniferous kinds of trees, in so far as the 

 operation affects the health of the trees and the quality of their timber. 

 With the former, then, in these respects the knife can be used vrith all 

 freedom, but with the latter the reverse is the case. 



With some kinds of deciduous trees, the plantations would often 

 become complete failures if pruning were not instituted upon them. 

 We often find this the case with such trees as elms, sycamores, and 

 oaks. 



These often take a stunted habit after being a few years in the 

 ground and make no appearance of pushing themselves forward. In 

 such circumstances it is found to be advantageous to the crop to cut all 

 the trees down to the ground. After this is done, a strong growth 

 appears which far exceeds the usual growth of such kinds of treesin 

 ordinary health. I have already had striking examples of this with the 

 redgum of the colony, where stunted and ^eased-looking trees have 



