230 TUE FLORIST. 



generally admitted, and yet how often do we see all the young wood 

 left until what is called the winter pruning, not only on Gooseberry 

 and Currant bushes, but on standard Apple, Pear, and Plum trees. 

 Peach, Nectarine, and Apricot trees fare a little better ; but in general 

 much more wood is retained at the summer pruning than is required 

 for next season. The air should freely pass round every portion. of 

 wood retained on trees, whether standards, dwarfs, trained or untrained, 

 and solar light should directly reach the surface of every leaf When 

 the wood or leaves are so close as in any manner to obstruct these 

 (the free circulation of air round the wood, and the direct action of 

 solar light on the leaves), the consequences are that even in the most 

 favourable seasons the wood does not get properly ripened, and in 

 unfavourable ones it is much less matured. To retain, therefore, any 

 superfluous shoots at summer pruning is very bad practice, as they 

 prevent the wood that is wanted for next year from being properly 

 ripened ; and unless the wood is thoroughly matured it is in vain to 

 expect good crops of fruit. Unless every leaf receives the full influence 

 of solar light, and unless air in motion pass freely about every part of 

 the tree, we cannot secure well-formed buds ; even then we must 

 always keep the leaves clear of insects, so that their functions be not in 

 the least impaired. If we wish annually to have good crops of fruit, 

 we must timely and properly attend to the summer pruning of our 

 trees ; and we must not limit this operation to our Peach, Nectarine, 

 and Apricot trees, nor to our Apple, Pear, and Plum trees, but must 

 extend it to every tree of every description, from which we expect a 

 crop of fruit. Instead of Gooseberry and Currant bushes being summer 

 pruned in general, it is quite exceptional. I am perfectly aware that 

 all this summer pruning occurs at a time of the year when there is an 

 accumulated demand of absolutely necessary and immediate require- 

 ments on the too often rather limited labour which a gardener has at 

 his command. This it is, I know, which sometimes causes that work, 

 which, though at that time it may not be so immediately urgent, but 

 which, nevertheless, is oftentimes of much more consequence, to be 

 postponed. And as a matter of course, not being done at the proper 

 time, it is not done until winter, consequently the wood is never in such 

 case properly ripened ; and trees, when the wood is not ripened, 

 always suffer more from insects ; and the young shoots from unripened 

 wood, if summer pruning is neglected, stand a still worse chance of 

 ripening. When this goes on year after year it is in vain to expect 

 crops of fruit. No matter, then, how " immediate and urgent " other 

 work may be at the time, the summer pruning of fruit trees of every 

 kind must be attended to properly. It is labour well bestowed, and 

 when trees get into a healthy bearing state, full of ripened and fruc- 

 tiferous wood, they will require but very little summer pruning. It is 

 when this is totally neglected, that trees that bear little or no fruit put 

 out a forest of shoots instead. 



Pomona. 



