26 THE OKCHAED AND FRUIT GAEDEN. 



Pruning is necessary to increase the productiveness 

 of all fruit-bearing trees, since a too rampant growth 

 precludes fruitfulness. Nature impels a tree to vigorous 

 growth of foliage and wood, and little production of 

 fruit, the result of free, unchecked circulation of the 

 sap : art, by checking the free circulation of the sap, 

 by pruning and training, forces the tree to bear bloom 

 instead of leaf-buds only. This is the principle on which 

 we prune our trees. 



The object of pruning is so to regulate the branches 

 as to encourage bloom and the full development of the 

 fruit, without too much curtailing the leaf surface, in 

 which the circulation of the juices takes place, and 

 different kinds of pruning are applicable to different 

 fruit trees. 



In pruning, the productiveness of the tree in hand, 

 and its beauty, must both be made matters of considera- 

 tion. Every tree is a study in itself, and every cut 

 with the pruning-knife must be matter of calculation, 

 and be made for some reason regarding present or future 

 growth and productiveness, or the just balance necessary 

 to form a handsome tree. 



Most kinds of trees require summer and winter 

 pruning. For summer pruning much labour and loss 

 of sap may be saved by rubbing off the buds or nipping 

 off tiny shoots which are going to produce branches that 

 would have to be removed afterwards. This prevention 

 of evil should be constantly attended to throughout the 

 growing season. The object of summer pruning is to 

 mature the fruit, and improve the beauty of the tree : 

 it may be begun in May. Trees of a naturally rampant 

 growth should be allowed to retain more main branches 

 than those of a more puny habit, to give play to the too 

 abundant sap ; and as growth proceeds, shoots which are 

 or will be wanted must be trained in from time to time, 

 to prevent their starting from their place and taking a 

 wrong direction. 



The winter pruning is to regulate the main branches 

 and the young wood of the past summer, and the time 

 for it is open weather, from the fall of the leaf until the 



