220 



In England you hâve generally small, thoug'li much 

 fruit; you obtain it liowever often more by accident than 

 by art. If tlie soil is stony, as in most places, perméable or 

 made so by draining, you get, if not perfectly formed trees, 

 at least beautiful ones and loaded witli fruit. But if the 

 soil is damp, ricli and eonsequently the growth vigorous, 

 scarcely any fine fruit can be got, if trees are not treated 

 accordiug" to their requirements. 



To be enabled to do this, it is neeessary in every case to 

 consider: Firstly, theform to he given to the tree; secondly, 

 the différent parts of which the tree is comjyosed; and thirdly, 

 the functions which each of thèse parts hâve to fulfil. 



It is by means of the leading- or parent-hranches, that 

 the form of the tree is given. Thèse forms may vary more 

 or less, but should nevertheless not be too much complica- 

 ted, but as simple as possible. The leading -branches ought to 

 be very straight, and instead of spreading ail ont from the 

 same point on the mother-stetn, or nearly so, a suffieient 

 space should be left between each of them, and so on suc- 

 cessively, ea.ch space, being greater or smaller, according 

 to the nature of the tree. In ail cases, the spaces between 

 each leading -branch should be as equal as possible. If, 

 in order to fill up the space, some of them are required 

 to ramify or be forked, it is with the lowest leading -branches 

 that the bifurcation should be formed, and thèse must also 

 be the strongest. S^anmetry ought to exist everj'where. 



Novr, as I hâve observed, the leading -hrsiDches give 

 the form of the tree; but tliey bear another kind of 

 wood, namely the bearing -branches, which give the fruit- 

 twigs, and often also the reserve fruittwigs for the fol- 

 io wing year; so that in every tree, to be j)runed, only 

 three or four sorts of branches exist. This being- admit- 

 ted, the task of the pruner is much simplified. Indeed, 

 knowing that each of thèse four parts has its ovni func- 

 tions to perform, and may not, but by exception, be 

 charged with that of another part, it will be much easier 



