^16 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF OAK. 



of elevation. The contrast between the plants pro- 

 duced in the extremes of shelter and exposure is 

 indeed striking, every thing being different but the 

 form of the leaves. On the whole, little is hazarded 

 in asserting, that an indifferent soil, properly shel- 

 tered, is capable of producing more oak timber than 

 a good one without this advantage." Pontey's 

 Forest Prune?\ p. 245. 



A third error or defect which deserves particular 

 notice in the common mode of treating oak, is ne- 

 gligence in pruning it. In order to have valuable 

 timber, it is necessary that the strength of the sap 

 should be conducted to one stem, and that this 

 stem should be trained up as clean, and to as great 

 a height, as possible. This, however, can seldom be 

 effected without the aid of artificial means. The 

 knife of the pruner must be skilfully as well as 

 timeously applied. The natural tendency of every 

 tree is to throw out a number of lateral shoots, 

 while they can seldom be rendered useful as timber. 

 Rob the leader of its due aliment, and, instead of a 

 tree, a mere bush is produced, or a weighty over- 

 grown top, with scarce any length of bole. Trans- 

 planted oaks are particularly subject to grow in this 

 way, w^hen they grow at all ; and not to prune them, 

 is a great aggravation of the bad treatment they 



