SECRETARY'S REPORT. 181 



eye for beauty as well as utility. My pocket knife is an almost 

 indispensable companion in passing among the orchard trees and 

 take off sprouts wrongly inclined, and small branches, or to mark 

 those to be cut off subsequently." 



Pruning is an operation where more judgment is required than 

 in almost any other operation in the nursery or orchard. Definite 

 rules cannot be laid down to meet all cases. If the tree is nat- 

 urally inclined to a close and upright head, as with the Northei-n 

 Spy apple and the Buffum pear, encourage spreading shoots, and 

 thin the top suflSciently to let in the sun and air. If, on the other 

 hand, it incline to a spreading habit, encourage an upward growth. 

 Aim at symmetry of development. Take away, as early as may 

 be, all cross shoots which by and by may be chafing others. 



In proportion as ti^ees grow older, more caution is needful to ef- 

 fect a gradual rather than a sudden reduction of the top. When 

 trees become stunted or unthrifty, a moderate heading back, accom- 

 panied with manuring and cultivation, will often M^ork a surprising 

 change for the better. If the fruit of a large tree be poor and it is 

 desired to graft a new top upon it, let it be done gradually, begin- 

 ning with the centre of the top, or if unthrifty, head in that portion, 

 and after the emission of vigorous shoots, graft into them, and af- 

 terward into the others. Fruit, in abundance, can be thus obtained 

 from trees not too old or too far gone, in a much shorter period 

 than by planting young trees. 



The following from Mr. Olmstead, in the Horticulturist, is an 

 instance of success attending good management : 



" These trees I commenced grafting six years ago last spring. I 

 began on the top and grafted a third each year. I like this method 

 better than any other for grafting large trees, as it gives the scions 

 a good opportunity to get well started. Cutting off and grafting 

 the top first, gives the grafts there the best possible chance, while 

 the necessary reduction of the top throws the sap into the remain- 

 ing side branches, which fits them well for grafting the following 

 year ; and the third year, the lowest branches, beirfg made ready 

 in the same way, may be grafted successfully. By this mode, it 

 will be seen that when the grafts are put in the side branches they 

 are not shaded by the heavy shoots above them and they have an 

 unusual supply of nourishment to carry them forward. Those who 

 have attempted to graft the whole head of a large tree at once are 

 best aware of the great diflficultj'^ in the common mode of getting 

 the scions to take on the side limbs. 



