148 CALENDAR AND INDEX. 



and half hardy grape-vines should be judiciously pruned, by 

 cutting out old branches which produced fruit the preceding 

 year, as well as all superfluous and weak young shoots, 

 leaving the strong summer shoots for bearers the coming 

 season, which should be judiciously trained as recommended 

 in articles, pages 21 and 72. 



In pruning all descriptions of trees, some general rules 

 may be observed. In cutting out defective branches, 

 prune close to the healthy wood, and also shorten such 

 shoots as have been injured by the winter, to the full extent, 

 or even a few inches beyond, where damage has been sus- 

 tained. 



In pruning healthy young trees the limbs should not be 

 too closely pruned, because this would occasion more lateral 

 shoots to put forth than is beneficial to the tree ; which, if 

 not rubbed off in the summer, while quite young, and as it 

 were herbaceous, they will form crowded branches, which 

 may not yield good fruit. In doing this disbudding, how- 

 ever, care must be taken to leave shoots in a suitable direc- 

 tion, sufficient for the formation of an open and handsome 

 head to the tree, according to its kind. 



It may be observed, farther, that in the event of young 

 trees, taken from the nursery, being deficient in fibrous 

 roots, as is sometimes the case, close pruning may be neces- 

 sary to maintain a proper equilibrium between the roots and 

 the head, but it should be borne in mind, that foliage is as 

 essential to the maintenance of the roots, as roots are neces- 

 sary to the promotion of the growth of the head ; because 

 the secretion of plants being formed in leaves, it follows that 

 secretions cannot take place if leaf buds are destroyed. 



As vegetation makes rapid progress in our climate after 

 the frost is out of the ground, the gardener should employ 

 himself in unfavourable weather, in providing implements 

 and materials for the performance of the work of the gar- 

 den every fine day, in order that his pruning and planting 

 may be done before the too rapid advance of the sap. 



