114 
PRUNING. 
[chap. y. 
the winter pruning. The vine is very apt to 
bleed when pruning has been delayed too 
late; and in very strong vigorous plants, the 
ascending sap sometimes drops from the 
branches like rain. The French very poeti¬ 
cally call these drops the tears of the vine. 
The uses to ivhich pruning is applied are 
various; but most commonly it is intended 
either to improve the form of the tree, or to 
make it bear more flowers and fruit than it 
otherwise would do: it is also used for re¬ 
moving diseased or broken branches; and, 
in cases of transplanting, for proportioning 
the head to the roots. 
Pruning to improve the form of a tree in 
pleasure-grounds, is only required in those 
cases where trees have grown under unfa¬ 
vourable circumstances, and where they have 
been too much drawn up, or distorted in any 
manner: but in useful plantations it is neces¬ 
sary to prepare trees for the purposes for 
which they are intended. Thus, for exam¬ 
ple, a tree intended for timber, should have 
its side-branches taken olf while they are 
quite young, in order that the wounds may 
soon heal over, and not leave loose knots to 
