Book III, 



CULTURE, &c. OF PLANTATIONS. 



961 



« I havp myself tried the experiment with several oak-trees at about twelve feet high that were a little 

 incHned to crook, and that had also a main branch inclined to a horizontal position. In the course of less 

 Hian twenty years I had the pleasure of seeing some of these ^ery trees grow so very crooked that the 

 branch would work in with the main stem or body of the tree, to a complete knee, or square, which is the 

 most ^'.luabii' of all trees. And as ten trees of crooked oak are required for one straight one, it is of the 

 most essential consequence to have crooked oak-trees ; and, besides, an oak-tree, properly crooked, that 

 will answer for a large knee — say the main branch, to be fit to work in with the body or trunk of the tree 

 without much waste of wood, is nearly double in value to the same number of straight trees ; and, 

 indeed, knees of oak are extremely scarce, and difficult to be got." 



6S96. Pontey " knows of no way by which bends of tolerable scantlings (knees excepted) can be pro- 

 duced with certainty and little trouble, but from a side branch kept in a bent position by the branches of 

 another tree or trees overhanging its stem," {Forest Pruner, 174.) 



6897. Copjnce-woods, in so far as gi-own for poles or bark, require pmning on the 

 same principle as timber trees, in order to modify the ligneous matter into stem, and 

 produce clean bai-k. In as far as they are grown for fence-wood, fuel, or besom-spray, 

 no pruning is required, 



5S98. Osier-holts only require the laterals to be pinched off the shoot* intended for hoops ; those for the 

 basket-maker seldom produce any. The stools also require to be kept free from dead wood and stinted 

 knotty protuberances. 



6899. Hedge-rows require side pruning, or switching, from tlieir first planting, so as 

 gradually to mould them into " the wedge shape, tapering from bottom to top on both 

 sides equally, till they meet in a point at the top. Two feet at bottom is a sufficient 

 breadth for a five-feet hedge : a greater or a less height should have the bottom wider or 

 nan-ower accordingly. In dressing young hedges, either of the deciduous or evergreen, 

 kinds, tlie sides only should be cut till the hedge arrive at the proposed height, unless it 

 be necessaiy, for the sake of shelter, to cut their tops over, in order to make the hedge 

 thicker of branches. Such cutting of the upright shoots, however, is not of any very 

 great use in tliis respect ; because every hawthorn-hedge sends out a number of side 

 shoots, which, if encouraged, by keeping the top narrow as above, will make it abund- 

 antly thick." {Sajig, 447.) In pruning hedges, some use shears; but the hedge-bill 

 {Jig' 115.) is the most proper instrument, and prunes a smooth unfractured section, not 

 so apt to throw out a number of small useless shoots as generally follow the bruised cut 

 of the shears. {Jig. 125.) 



6900. Hedge-row trees require to be pruned to a tall, erect, clean stem, as at once 

 producing more timber and doing least injury to the ground under their drip and shade, 



6901. Trees in strips for skelter, or screens for concealment, ought to be furnished with branches 

 from the bottom upwards ; unless undergrowth supply this deficiency. Wliere this is not the case, care 

 should be had that the trees be pruned into conical shapes, so as that the lower branches may be as little as 

 possible excluded from the influence of the weather by the upper ones. 



6902. Trees fw shade, where shelter from winds is not wanting, should be pruned to ample spreading 

 heads with naked stems ; the stems should be of such a height that the sun's rays, at mid-day, in mid- 

 summer, may not fall within some yards of the base of the trunk j thus leaving, under the tree, as well as 

 on its shady side, a space for the repose of men or cattle. 



6903. Trees in paries may be considered as chiefly ornamental ; and for this purpose 

 should be left with larger heads than such as are grown chiefly for timber. Tlie height 

 to which the stems are cleared of branches should vary according to the kind of tree 

 {Jig. 659. a to e) ; and hollies, thorns, and such shrubs as are left untouched, or that are 



protected by enclosure from the cropping of cattle {f,g), should be left entirely to 

 themselves. In parks, where no pruning whatever is given to the timber-trees by man, 

 we find they are all pruned or browsed to a certain height by cattle : this adds to their 

 character as trees, but in flat surfaces forms a disagreeable repetition of the horizontal 

 line in which they stand. To break this browsing line, pruning is a simple, obvious, and 

 fFectual resource. 



6904. Sonte trees in pleasure-grounds and lawns, where no cattle ever come, may be allowed to ex- 

 tend their branches so as they may almost recline on the turf ; others may be pruned to different heights, 

 according to their natures. Limes, planes, cedars, and firs have a fine effect with their branches depend- 

 ing from their trunks ; and give an idea of seclusion and exclusive consecration to man, highly charac- 

 teristic of what is called pleasure-ground. 



6905. The properly thinning out of plantations, Sang observes, " is a matter of the 

 first importance in their culture. However much attention be paid to the article of 

 pruning, if the plantation be left too thick, it will be inevitably rtiined. ^ A circulation of 

 air, neither too great nor too small, is essential to the welfare of the whole. This should 

 not be wanting at any period of the growth of the plantation ; but, in cases where it has 

 been prevented by neglect, it should not be admitted all at once, or suddenly. Open- 

 ing a plantation too much at once, is a sure way to destroy its healtli and vigor, la 



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