136 NAT. ORDER. POMACES. 



rig'ht, the disorderly, spongy and superfluous shoots of the year, rather 

 than let them grow woody, so as to require the knife. Retain some 

 of the most promising, well-placed, lateral and terminal shoots, always 

 keeping a leader to each main branch, where the space will permit. 

 Leave the greater number on young branches not fully supplied with 

 branches. Train in these at their full length all summer, in order to 

 have a choice of young wood in the winter pruning. Occasionally, on 

 old trees, or others where any considerable vacancy occurs, some 

 principal contiguous shoot may be shortened in June to a few eyes, for 

 a supply of several new shoots the same season. 



Winter pruning. This may be performed any time from the be- 

 ginning of November until the beginning of April. If on young trees 

 or others a further increase of branches is necessary to fill up either 

 the prescribed space or any casual vacuity, retain some principal shoots 

 of last summer, to be trained for that pui-pose. As, however, many 

 young shoots will have arisen on the wood branches and bearers, of 

 which a great part are abundant and disorderly, but which have re- 

 ceived some regulation in the summer pruning, we must now cut these 

 out close to the mother branches, while we are preserving the best in 

 the more open parts. Examine the parent branches, and if any are 

 very irregular or defective in growth, either cut them out close, or 

 prune them to some eligible lateral to supply the place ; or if any 

 branches be over extended, they may be pruned in to such a lateral, 

 or to a good fruit-bud. Cut out the least regular of the two crowded, 

 also any casually declined bearers, with decayed, cankery and dead 

 wood. The retained supply of laterals and terminals should be laid in 

 as much at length as the limits allow, in order to furnish a more abun- 

 dant quantity of fruit-buds. During both courses of pruning, be par- 

 ticularly careful to preserve all the orderly fruit-spurs, omitted at the 

 sides and ends of the bearers ; if, however, any large, rugged, pro- 

 jecting spurs, and wooden barren stumps or snags occur, cut them 

 clear away close to the branches, which will render the bearers more 

 productive of fruit-buds, and regular in appearance. As each tree is 



