. Report upon the forestry investigations of the U. S. Department of agriculture. 1877-1898. Forests and forestry. rrv Fig 30—Dormant bud K, on a 12 j ear old branch of beech The bud is still capable of development and as connected with the pith, mm, of the stem by a fine trace of pith, 8 some of the buds, giving thereby better chance to the remaining ones, This priming of buds is, where practicable, often better practice than the pruning of limbs. Since the tree does not grow in length except by its buds, it is evident that a limb which started to grow at the height of 0 feet has its base alw
. Report upon the forestry investigations of the U. S. Department of agriculture. 1877-1898. Forests and forestry. rrv Fig 30—Dormant bud K, on a 12 j ear old branch of beech The bud is still capable of development and as connected with the pith, mm, of the stem by a fine trace of pith, 8 some of the buds, giving thereby better chance to the remaining ones, This priming of buds is, where practicable, often better practice than the pruning of limbs. Since the tree does not grow in length except by its buds, it is evident that a limb which started to grow at the height of 0 feet has its base always 6 feet from the ground, and if allowed to grow to size, must be surrounded by the wood which accumulates on the mam stem or trunk. If a limb is killed and broken off early, only a slender stub composed entirely of rapidly decaying sap^ood is left, occasioning, therefore, only a small defect in the heart of the tree; but if left to grow to considerable age, the base of the limb is incased by the wood of the stem, which, when the tree is cut into lumber, appears as a knot. The longer the limb has been allowed to grow the farther out is the timber knotty and the thicker is the knot. If the limb remained alive, the knot is "sound,'7 closely grown together with the fibers of the tree. If the limb died off, the remain- ing stub may behave in different ways. In piues it will be largely com- posed of heartwood, very resinous and durable; separated from the fibers of the overgrowing wood, it forms a "loose" knot, which is apt to fall out of aboard, leaving a hole. In bioad leaved trees, where no resin assists in the process of healing, the stub is apt to decay, and this decay, caused by the giowth of fungi, is apt to penetrate into the tree (fig. 32). In parks and orchards pruning is resorted to, and the cuts are painted or tarred to avoid the decay. In well-managed forests and dense woods in general the light is cut off, the limb is killed when young and breaks awa
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectforestsandforestry
