12 HAND-BOOK OF PRACTICAL 



elongation from the last bud on the shoot left in an outward 

 direction, your tree will soon be a mass of shoots and branches, 

 and cause you to oppose any practice of pruning. On the other 

 hand, if you carefully study the probable continuation of each 

 bud left at the end of the shoot pruned, you can form your tree 

 into a round, open, compact or spreading head, according to 

 your fancy. We could write a whole book on this item ; but 

 our belief is that a few practical words of guidance are all that is 

 requisite to induce thought in the good common sense of our 

 readers. 



Winter Pruning. — We do not advocate winter pruning, 

 because we think the wound made by the cut at this time more 

 liable to dry, and crack, and open, exposing it to water lodgment 

 as well as to harden at the edge, more than when performed 

 early in autumn or just as the sap starts in spring. If, however, 

 winter pruning has to be done, the operator should select a time 

 when the temperature, if possible, is above freezing point, and in 

 the middle of the day, and even then we would never cut away 

 any large or strong limbs at this time. 



Plow up to the Boots of Trees and Vines. — All young orchard 

 trees, grape-vines, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, etc., 

 should have the earth either plowed or shoveled up toward them, 

 leaving the center line between rows as a surface water-line for 

 winter drainage. Breaking of the roots by the plow in autumn 

 will not injure the plants, trees or vines, so that the laborer need 

 not be afraid of going too deep with plow or spade. Leave the 

 ground as rough as it will naturally lie, — in other words, do not 

 rake and smooth down after plow or spade, because, when left 

 rough, the action of the elements during winter serves almost as 

 good a purpose as a light dressing of manure. 



Bush and Pyramid Trees, under the common name of dwarfs, 

 should be carefully watched and pinched back from time to time, 

 if any special form is desired to be retained. 



/Shrubs under Drip of Trees. — It sometimes becomes necessary 

 to plant some shrubs under the shade and drip of trees, in order 

 to make up for the loss of branches, etc. The Daphne 



