48 APRICOTS. 



top, and leave the under part of the principal branches naked, 

 and the lower and middle parts of the tree unfurnished with 

 proper supplies of bearing wood. Never prune below all 

 the blossom buds, except to provide wood, in which case 

 cut nearer to the origin of the branch. As, in these trees, 

 small fruit spurs, an inch or two long, often appear on some 

 of. the two or three years' branches furnished with blossom 

 buds, these spurs should generally be retained for bearing. 

 As each tree is pruned, lay in the branches and shoots from 

 three to six inches distance, and nail them straight or close 

 to the fence or wall. 



The summer pruning is principally to regulate the young 

 shoots of the same year. In the first place, take off close 

 all the irregular foremost shoots, taking care to retain a com- 

 petent supply of close side shoots, with a good leader to each 

 parent branch. Continue these mostly at full length all the 

 summer, regularly trained in, to procure a sufficiency to 

 choose from in the general winter pruning, for new bearers 

 the next year. 



If the summer regulation commences early, while the 

 shoots are quite young, and, as it were, herbaceous, those 

 improper to retain may be detached with the finger and 

 thumb ; but when of firmer growth, they must be removed 

 with the knife. If any very strong shoots rise in any part 

 where the wood is deficient, they may be topped in June, 

 which will cause them to produce several laterals the same 

 year, eligible for training in, to supply the vacancy. 



Sometimes the fruit is much too numerous, if not destroyed 

 by insects, often growing in clusters ; in which case thin 

 them while in a young, green state, leaving the most pro- 

 minent fruit singly, at three or four inches distance, or from 

 about two to six on the respective shoots, according to their 

 strength. The Apricots so thinned off, and the first princi 

 pal green fruit, are very fine for tarts. 



