OF FOREST-TREES.

181

Thus will they grow safe from winds, yet the top spreading.

Thus shall they bear much fruit; I dare say, one as much as five ofour common trees, all his branches loaden.

<c Thus shall your bole, being low, defraud the branches but little oftheir sap.

« Thus shall your trees be easy to drefs, and as easy to gather the fruitfrom, without bruising the cyons, &c.”

The fittest time of the moon for the pruning is (as of graffing) whenthe sap is ready to stir, not proudly stirring, and so to cover the wound jand here, for the time of day, we may take Columella, frondem medio diearborator ne ccedito. Lib. xi. Old trees should be pruned before youngplants 5 and note, that wheresoever you take any thing away, the sap thenext summer will be putting ; be sure therefore when he puts to bud inany unfit place, you rub it off with your finger ; and if this be done forthree or four years at Midsummer, it will at last wholly clear the side-boughs, and exalt the growth of the stem exceedingly; and this is ofgood use for Elms, and such trees as are continually putting forth wherethey have been pruned. Thus begin timely with your trees, and youmay bring them to what form you please. If you desire any tree shouldbe taller, let him break or divide higher: This for young trees. The oldare reformed by curing of their diseases, of which we have alreadydiscoursed. There is this only to be considered, in reference to foresters,out of what he has spoken concerning fruit-trees ; that (as has beentouched) where trees are planted for shadow and mere ornament, as inwalks and avenues, the Brouse-wood, as they call it, should most of it becherished ; whereas in fruit and timber-trees, Oak excepted, it is best tofree them of it As for Pollards, (to which I am no great friend, becauseit makes so many scrags and dwarfs of many trees, which would else begood timber, endangering them with drips, and the like injuries)they should not be headed above once in ten or twelve years, at thebeginning of the spring, or end of the fall: And note, that all coppicingand cutting close invigorates the roots and the stem of whatsoever growsweak and unkindly j but you must then take care it be not overgrownwith weeds or grafs. Nothing, says my Lord Bacon , (Exper. 586 ) causesVolume II. A a