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arboretum and fruticetum.

PART HI.

exception to other orders of trees with respect to culture. They may requireculture of a different kind, but, if they are to be subjected to man, they mustbe pruned, and otherwise treated, so as to fit them for his purposes in themost complete manner, and in the shortest possible time; unless it can beshown that, in an artificial state, they will become fit for these purposes ina sufficiently short time, without pruning, or any other kind of culture.M. Loiseleur Deslongchamps and M. Bose affirm that the dbietina: havemore need of numerous branches than the broad-leaved trees; because, saythey, the pines absorb from the atmosphere as much nourishment by then-leaves, as they draw from the soil by their roots. These authors recommendpines and firs to be left wholly without pruning for the first eight or ten years;that at that time the lowest tier of branches may be cut off; and that after-wards a tier may be cut off annually, till the trunk is cleared to the height of6 ft. or 7 ft.; after which they should be left entirely to nature. We cannot,however, counsel leaving them entirely to nature, even after this period;because, in that case, when the branches began to decay and drop oflj thestumps which remain would become buried in the wood, and would greatlydiminish its value. M. Hartig is in favour of pruning the /lbietina;; but M.Burgsdorf is of a contrary opinion. According to M. Delamarre, the ma-jority of French authors recommend pruning and thinning; and the practicein the department of the Maine, where his estate lay, is to cut off thebranches at 2 in. or 3 in. from the trunk, in order to leave some small shootsand leaves to draw up the sap. In Champagne, he says, 6 in. are left atfirst; and, in a year or two afterwards, these are cut off close to the trunk.Delamarre adds that 2in. is the preferable distance; and a stump of thislength, he says, will, in three or four years, be buried in the trunk of the tree.In Britain, and also in most parts of Germany, close pruning has the decidedpreference. The advantage of early and close pruning, in the case of thepine and fir tribe, was pointed out by Mr. Salmon, in the Transactions ofthe Society of Arts, about the beginning of the present century; and afterwardsstrongly recommended by Mr. Pontey, in his Forest Pruner , and practised byhim in various places where he had the management of the plantations. Itis generally considered, however, that Mr. Salmon and Mr. Pontey carriedthe practice of close pruning too far. Mr. Main, who has paid great attentionto the subject of pruning, states it as his opinion, that all the pine and firtribe intended for profit should be planted to grow up, and be “ all cut downtogether, like a crop of corn.” Mr. Salmon, on the other hand, gives thefollowing directions, founded, as he says, on several years’ observation andexperience :—The pruning should commence when the trees are six years old,or, in other words, when five distinct tiers of branches appear on the stem.The lowest of these tiers are to be taken off, leaving four remaining. Afterwhich, at every succeeding four or five years, the pruning is to be repeated,till the stem of the tree be cleared to the height of 40 ft.; after which the treemay be left to nature. The best practice seems to lie between Mr. Main’sopinion and that of Mr. Salmon; and we should think that if small poles andmasts were the object, Mr. Main’s plan would be the best; but for largebeams, planks, and deals, Mr. Salmon’s. We shall hereafter have occasionto enlarge on the subject, when treating on the pruning of particular species,and more especially of Pinus sylvestris. In exposed situations, Mr. Nuttallhas found that the Abietinas are much invigorated at the root by pinchingout the points of the side shoots, and even of the leading shoot; whichcauses the plants to increase in diameter at the base, and to become furnishedwith roots, larger and more vigorous, in proportion to the elevation of thestem, than would otherwise be the case, which consequently enables themthe better to withstand the force of high winds. Plants so treated soonrecover their leading shoots; or, if they send up more than one, the super-fluous ones can be removed. The details of Mr. Nuttall’s practice will befound in the Gardener's Magazine, vol. xiii. p. 350. The best season forpruning the /Ibietimc is in mild weather in early spring, or in the autumn.