8 4 



Principles and Practice of Pruning. 



i. The cut should always be made with a sharp knife, which does 

 the work smoother, better, and more completely at the control tf the 

 operator. 2. The cut surface should be as small as practicable, in 

 order that it may heal over readily. The two annexed figures show 

 the right and the wrong way of doing this work, Fig. 102 being a 

 well made cut, and Fig. 103 being one performed by a careless work- 

 man, exposing a large cut surface and leaving an inconvenient and 

 sharp stub above the bud intended to grow. 3. The cut should not 

 be made too high above the bud, nor too near it. If too high above 

 (Fig. 104), in the space between the buds or joints, this portion, not 

 being fed by leaves, dies, and the wood must be afterwards pruned 

 again in order to make a smooth stem. If the cut is made too near 

 the bud, as in Fig. 105, the drying surface abstracts moisture and 

 enfeebles the bud, which either fails to grow, or grows feebly. 



Fig. 102. Fig. 103. Fig. 104. Fig. 105. 



Fig. 106. 



Fig. 107. 



Fig. 1 06. Pruning down to in- 

 serted bud the dotted line, a, shows 

 the proper place to make the cut b, 

 is too near the bud. Fig. 107. The 

 bud after starting and tying up. 



Trees that are soft and porous, as the 



peach and grape, should have more 



wood left above the bud, to prevent 



drying ; and in pruning down to all 



inserted buds, it is generally safest to leave an inch or two until 



the young shoot has fairly commenced growing, when the stump 



may be pared down close to it by a single draw-cut of a sharp knife, 



made sideways, so that the point of the knife may not strike the 



shoot (Figs. 106 and 107). 4. In shaping the heads of young trees, 



prune down to an inside bud, where an upright shoot is required j 



