196 GARDEN MANAGEMENT. 



494. The reverend author we have so often quoted very much approves of 

 the ferns and mulching during violent frosts ; but the straw and dung, he- 

 thinks., encourage wonns, ants, and other vermin very injurious to the young 

 roots ; therefore he adopted, as equally effective, more sightly, and free from 

 that objection, the plan of placing a layer of sand in a circle round the tree, 

 paving it with small round stones, which is neat and attractive to the eye, . 

 and equally effective in protecting the roots, keeping them, at the same time, 

 cool, and admitting of the necessary percolation of moisture. 



495. The principles of physiolog}% briefly sketched in a former page, are 

 applied to the pruning of fruit-trees, with the following results :— 



1. It imposes on the tree a form in keeping with the place it is intended 



to occupy. 



2. It leads to the principal branches of the tree being furnished with 



fruiting-branches in all its extent. 



3. It renders the fructification more equal, by suppressing superabun- 



dant flower-buds, and encouraging new ones for the following 

 year. 



4. It determines the production of larger fruit, and of better quality, 



by regulating the supply of nourishment to the fruit-bearing 

 branches. 



496. In fruit-trees in a state of nature the sap is distributed equally, because 

 the tree follows its natural tendency, which is to develop perpendicular 

 branches ; and as the tendency of the sap is to ascend to the loftier branches, 

 the ramifications of the base of the stem come to languish, and finally dry up 

 altogether into hard wood ; it is, therefore, indispensable to the production 

 of fruit, to overcome this natural tendency of the sap. Let us imagine an 

 espalier-trained tree in which the equilibrium of vegetation is broken ; we 

 know that the sap is attracted by the leaves, and that by suppressing a suffi- 

 cient number of the leaf-buds upon the branches, growing with superfluous 

 vigour, the sap flowing into them will be diminished, and an increased 

 quantity will fall to the weaker branches, whose leaves are kept untouched ; 

 therefore suppress, as early as possible, all useless buds on strong branches, 

 and retain them as long as possible on weak ones. 



497. The sap acts with greatest force upon the shoots thrown out by 

 vertical branches ; weak branches will be assisted, therefore, by being placed 

 in a vertical position, and strong ones repressed by being trained horizon- 

 tally, or by having their extremities arched downwards. 



498. In removing the leaves from a strong shoot, in order to restore the 

 balance to a weak one, it is necessary to remember, that without a due pro- 

 portion of leaves to attract and elaborate the sap, the branch will perish ; the 

 leaves removed, therefore, must be sufficient to restore the equilibrium, and 

 no more ; and they must be removed in such a manner as to preserve the 

 petiole, or leaf-stalk, on the branch. 



499. Fruit has the property of attracting sap, and elaborating it for its 

 increase : and it follows, that a superabundance of sap will be drawn to the 



