508 THE GARDENER. [Nuv. 



fruits, to l)ei(r a snlTicient crop of fruit. To insure lliis, the pinching and })run- 

 ing must be conducted ou a somewhat dill'ercnt principle. Instead of pinch- 

 ing in all the summer growths to a leaf or two, as advised for Ai)ples, &,c., 

 each shoot should be allowed to produce two or three others, to be laid in 

 parallel with the main branches. Only those which would unduly crowd 

 the others should be pinched ; and we may observe that those which grow 

 straight out from the wall should be rubbed olF altogether after they have grown 

 an inch or so, and the others be i)inched to two or three leaves. Generally 

 speaking, the shoots which are to be retained should all proceed from tlie 

 upper side of the branch from which they spring. When laid in from both 

 sides, it is impossible to have all the shoots on the tree pointing from a common 

 centre ; and when they do not, the tree never looks well. Gardeners get this 

 properly impressed on them the first time they try their hand at the nail- 

 ing of trees; but amateur gardeners generally ignore it, and the result is, 

 branches innumerable, not crossing perhaps, but pointing across, each other's 

 path, which causes a slovenly and distressing appearance to persons of an 

 orderly mind, and leads to confusion worse confounded by -and -by, to say 

 nothing of the unnailing and renailiog which it necessitates. It is neces- 

 sary, therefore, to lay in perfectly straight all branches pointing regularly 

 outwards. It is as easy to nail a branch straight as crooked, and when 

 they are all straight the distances at which they are apart are very easily 

 regulated. When crooked it is an impossibility, for then the branches are 

 here widely apart, and there close together, which means waste of wall-space 

 at some places, and at others the waste caused by over-crowding. Attention 

 to this is necessary for all trees, but it is doubly so in the case of Morello 

 Cherry-trees. "We need not, therefore, apologise for entering these remarks 

 here. 



In pruning Morello Cherry-trees, a constant cutting back and thinning out 

 of old branches is required, to make room for the young wood which is being 

 continually laid in. Even when the trees are young this cutting back must 

 take place, otherwise the bottoms of the trees will get bare, and only the upper 

 portion wuU be suitably furnished. To secure a proper supply of this young 

 wood, whole branches may need cutting back. When this is done, the 

 neighbouring branches should be spread out, to cover the vacant space until 

 young wood has been trained up. Then the neighbouring branches should be 

 cut in their turn, and this should go on continually. In order to keep trees 

 well furnished with healthy wood, it is often necessary to cut out or back main 

 branches. 



Peach-trees should be trained on the same principle, and therefore we think 

 we had better say something of Peach-trees here, although placing the Peach 

 after the Cherry may seem a curious arrangement. For amateurs in northern 

 localities the arrangement is right enough, for Peach-trees are to them less 

 valuable than Moreilos. 



Peaches and Nectabixes. 



We do not recommend amateurs in northern localities to plant Peach-trees 

 in their gardens, for they very seldom prove satisfactory unless they are under 

 glass. It would be somewhat out of place, in addressing ourselves to amateurs 

 with small gardens, to speak of their cultivation in Peach - houses ; but as 

 this may fall into the hands of persons favourably situated in the matter of 

 climate who may wish to grow a few Peaches, we shall give cultural directions 

 which may be of service to persons unacquainted with their wants. 



