PRU 



485 



PRU 



same year, arising from the eyes of the ) would soon pvisli again vigorously from 

 last year's wood only; and must, there- , every eye, and render the trees a thick- 

 fore, have a general supply of the best j et of useless wood. Therefore, all 

 regular shoots of each year trained in, i sorts, whether they require shortening 

 which, in winter pruning, must be , in the winter pruning or not, should, in 

 shortened to a few eyes, in order to the summer dressing, be layed in at 

 force out shoots from their lower parts, full length; but towards the end of Au- 

 only properly situated to lay in for bear- i gust, the extreme points may be pinch- 

 ing the following year. ed off with great advantage. The sap 

 Figs bear also only upon the young is thus made to complete the growth of 

 wood of a year old, and a general sup- | the shoot, and not to increase its length ; 

 ply of it is, therefore, necessary every ' and it is too late in the season for fresh 

 year ; but these shoots must at no time shoots to be induced. 

 be shortened, unless the ends are dead, j Summer pruning is a most necessary 

 because they always bear principally operation. Young shoots require thin- 

 towards the extreme part of the shoots, ' ning to preserve the beauty of the trees, 

 which, if shortened, would take the! and encourage the fruit; and the soon- 

 bearing or fruitful parts away ; besides, er it is performed the better. It is, 

 they naturally throw out a sufficient therefore, advisable to begin this work 

 supply of shoots every year for future i in May, or early in June, removing 



bearing, without the precaution of 

 shortening. 



Apple, pear, plum, and cherry trees 

 bear principally on spurs, arising in the 

 wood of from two or three, to ten or 

 twenty years old, the same branches 

 and spurs continuing bearing a great 

 number of years ; so that, having once 

 procured a proper set of branches in 

 the manner already directed to form a 



all superfluous growths and ill placed 

 shoots, which may be performed with 

 considerably more expedition and ex- 

 actness than when after the trees have 

 shot a considerable length. Where, 

 however, a tree is inclined to luxuri- 

 ancy, it is proper to retain as many of 

 the regular shoots as can be commodi- 

 ously trained in with any regularity, in 

 order to divide and exhaust the too 



spreading head, no farther supply of; abundant sap. It will be necessarv to 

 wood is wanted than some occasional review the trees occasionally, in order 

 shoots now and then to supply the to reform such branches or slmots as 

 place of any worn out or dead branch, may have started from their places, or 

 The above-mentioned spurs or fruit- : taken a wrong direction ; also that, ac- 

 buds are short robust roots of from cordingly as any fresh irregular shoots 

 about half an inch to one or two inches I produced since the general dressing 

 long, arising naturally, first towards the may be displaced; and, likewise, as 

 extreme parts of the branches of two or the already trained shoots advanced 

 three years old, and, as the branch in- i in length, or project from the wall 



creases in length, the number of fruit- i 

 buds increases accordingly. , 



In pruning always cut quite close, ' 

 both in the summer and winter prun- ' 

 ing, which, in the summer pruning, if 

 attended to early, while the shoots are 

 quite young and tender, they may rea- 

 dily be rubbed off quite close with the 

 thumb; but when the shoots become 

 older and woody, as they will not rea- 



or espalier, they should be trained in 

 close. 



In the winter pruning, a general re- 

 gulation must be observed, both of the 

 mother branches, and the supply of 

 young wood laid in the preceding sum- 

 mer ; and the proper time for this work 

 is any time in open weather, from the 

 fill of the leaf in November, until 

 March; but the sooner the better. In 



dily break, it must be done with a knife, I performing this work, it is jiroper to 



cutting them as close as possible; and 

 all winter pruning must always be per- 

 formed with a knife. In pruning in 

 summer, the necessary supply of regu- 

 lar shoots left for training in should 

 never be shortened during this season, 

 unless to particular shoots, to fill a va- 



unnail or loosen a chief part of the 

 branches, particularly of peaches, nec- 

 tarines, apricots, vines, and other trees 

 requiring an annual supply of young 

 wood. First look overall the principal 

 or mother branches, and examine il 

 any are worn out, or not furnished with 



cancy ; for, by a general shortening in ' parts proper for bearing fruit, and let 

 this season, all the shoots so treated [ such branches be cut down to the great 



