Pollarding machine - GIF

[Jon]

I believe what we have here is a pollarding machine? Or something else? No doubt everyone else here knows what pollarding is, but I had to look it up:

Pollarding is pruning trees so that multiple shoots grow out of the pruned area. Years later, those multiple shoots become dense foliage. When pollarding is done lower down on a tree, it's called coppicing.



Freshly pollarded trees:


Same pollarded trees after regrowth:


Example of long-term effect of pollarding:



Previously:

tree remover GIF
tree processor GIF
Tree tying machine
Moving a 40-ton oak tree
Trimming trees around power lines GIF
Excavator slicing tree GIF
1964 Tree stomper by R.G. LeTourneau
Tree stump corer
Sliding-log trick for felling a hung tree - GIF

[mklotz]

The term "pollard" also refers to animals that have been purposely dehorned or have lost their horns naturally as deer do. So, applying the term to trees shorn of their projecting branches makes a lot of sense.

[bricolage]

The second and third photograph shows pollarded trees, probably willow. The thin branches are harvested annually or bi-annually, depending on the thickness required and then are used for willow baskets. If the bark is left on for a while, you end up with buff colored canes, if taken off they are white. To pollard a tree for this use the top is cut off of a young tree, which then sprouts at that cut, and each year sprouts again from the same area so making that bulge at the top of the trunk.

The first photograph is more likely (I think) showing a machine to remove side shoots when young and small. The trunk then years later when harvested will only have small knots toward the center of the tree instead of large knots. This would make for more valuable, "mostly" knot free boards.

[SRQSid]

In New England the term for dehorned cattle was "polled", usually done with a circular electric device on a calf's horn buds.

[Farmist]

Same here in the Midwest

[SoCalDeere]

I have seen a machine like used on Palm trees to remove dead palm fronds witch are a huge fire hazard