Early Topping. 227 



or so of stem and branches, merely in order that 

 this may be subsequently cut away, involves a 

 waste of vitality and time not compensated for by 

 any reasonable consideration. 



It having now been explained that one of the 

 main objects of topping is to induce the plant to 

 throw out strong primary branches (or those which 

 grow directly from the main stem), the next 

 process to be described, namely, " Handling" (or 

 pruning by hand), as will be seen, is one having 

 a decided tendency in the same direction. The 

 branches next in order, those which proceed directly 

 from the primaries, are called the "secondaries." 



These also grow in pairs, the first of which is 

 thrown out within an inch or two of the parent 

 stem ; the next pair an inch or more farther out, and 

 so on. It will now be evident, that if each primary 

 were allowed to produce two or three pairs of secon- 

 daries within a few inches only of the stem of the 

 plant, the result would soon be a disorderly mass 

 or thicket, completely impervious to light and air; 

 while in addition, the sap being thus distributed and 

 directed into so many channels, nothing approach- 

 ing to strong healthy primaries could be looked for. 

 To guard against such a state of things, we now 

 proceed to take off, and to keep off, all the young 

 secondaries within six inches of the main stem on 

 every side, as soon as ever they make their appear- 

 Q 2 



