future growth and vigor of the trees ; but they can only be understood and appreciated 

 after some degree of experience. 



What we have said in regard to planting, applies with equal force to pruning. This 

 must be done at the proper time and in a proper manner. A person who has not 

 studied the nature and habits of a tree somewhat, is as likely to injure as improve its 

 condition by the application of the knife. Only a few of those who profess to be gar- 

 deners, have learned to use their knife at orice loisely and well. The head needs to be 

 trained as well as the hand. The good pruner not only makes a clean, handsome, 

 quick cut, but he cuts precisely what he should, and nothing more ; and that, too, at 

 the right time. We would gfeatly prefer to open the gates of our orchard, and let in 

 a drove of cattle to browse on the branches, than allow such men to prune them as we 

 have known to be entrusted with that duty. 



Then again the cultivation and cropping of the ground requires good judgment, as 

 well as great care. Some people suppose that if they grow root crops, or such as 

 require clean and constant culture, among their trees, that it will be all right. And so 

 it would be, if it were done in a proper manner. We are satisfied, however, that in a 

 multitude of cases the young trees are so starved and stunted by allowing the inter- 

 vening rows of root crops to encroach upon them, that they are pennanently injured, 

 if not ruined. We have known a very intelligent cultivator ruin an extensive young 

 Pear orchard by cropping the spaces between the rows, with corn. He took the pre- 

 caution to leave an open space of several feet on each side of the rows ; yet the injury 

 arising from exclusion of air, c%c., was quite obvious in comparing the trees with others 

 differently situated. We have seen others much injured by a crop of Carrots: a small 

 space was left between the roots and the trees ; yet the result was a rich harvest of 

 Carrots, and stunted trees. Other rows of trees in the same plot, having no Carrots 

 between, made a luxuriant growth. The fact is, these root crops gather food from a 

 greater breadth of ground than people generally suppose ; and when their feeders 

 come into contact or rivalry with those of a fruit tree, they are sure to become success- 

 ful usurpers. In this matter we speak not only from observation, but experience. We 

 sometimes plant Strawberries among our s})ecimen trees, in some cases allowing them 

 to cover the ground ; but during the drouth of last summer, and previous summers 

 too, we found that where the Strawberries had taken root thickly over the roots of fruit 

 trees, that the leaves of the trees fell prematurely, and the fruit failed to reach perfect 

 maturity. 



Our intention now is not to dwell upon these points minutely, or give any practical 

 instructions, but to call attention to the necessity of skill and judgment in the direction 

 of fruit tree plantations, and to warn those who are planting extensively, with a view 

 to profit, against the dangerous notion that any smart laborer may manage their trees. 

 We do not of course wish to be understood as arguing that every man who engages in 

 the culture of fruit trees must possess experience ; but unless he does, and can devote 

 his time to it, then he should employ a competent assistant. Far better do this than 

 lose his capital, and have the mortification of seeing his cherished project become a 

 failure and a discouiagement to himself and all who see it, and then to raise bitter 

 complaints against this one and that one who deceived him, cither by selling him bad 

 trees or by giving him false counsel. 



