steuart's planter's guide. 



307 



cord (that is when man does not meddle), gradually 

 raises its pyramidal centre, with proportional lateral 

 spread, as high as is befitting, for the fullest expan- 

 sion of the individual, under the circumstances of 

 its location. Man may mar this beautiful natural 

 balance easier than decypher the proximate cause 

 he may throw the new deposit of wood in greater 

 proportion upon the upper part of the stem, render^ 

 ing his beam more suitable from equality of thick- 

 ness, and particularly in pines, of cleaner, smaller 

 growthed, more durable timber, thence more valu- 

 able. But the tree will neither produce the same 

 quantity of measurable timber in a considerable 

 number of years, nor will it ultimately reach to near- 

 ly the same size, nor continue life nearly so long, 

 as when left to itself Man's interference is use- 

 ful in removing competitors, in giving it lateral 

 room for extension, in lraini7ig it skilfully to one 

 leader and subordinate equality of feeders, should 

 transplanting, early pruning up, or other cause, de- 

 stroy the natural regular pyramidal disposition- — not 

 in pruning it up, thus reducing it to narrower com- 

 pass, and destroying its balance to the locality. 



The use of the infinite seedling varieties in the 

 families of plants, even in those in a state of nature, 

 differing in luxuriance of growth and local adaptation, 



U 2! 



