116 THE APPLE GULTUSI8T. 



of Nature. She often starts a score of buds on a stem, 

 only a small portion of which should be permitted to grow. 

 Here the judgment and skill of the pruner must be brought 

 into exercise just as the buds are beginning to develop. 

 Nature has afforded an excellent opportunity to choose one 

 or more of the most desirable buds for the future branches, 

 and to destroy the others before the energies of the grow- 

 ing tree have been largely employed in producing large 

 branches, which must be cut off as soon as they are formed. 

 Some American pomologists of the present day advocate 

 the utter abandonment of pruning fruit-trees ; and they 

 have pointed to productive trees of beautiful form and 

 symmetry as evidence that Nature does not need the as- 

 sistance of art in the production of fruit-orchards. But it 

 is never safe to leave any tree entirely to the operations of 

 Nature, as some trees will grow about as nearly correct in 

 every particular as can be desired, while others will assume 

 the density of a thicket, and others still will send out long, 

 slender branches and twigs, having only a few fruit-buds 

 at the extremities, reminding us of a far-reaching and cov- 

 etous person for the acquisition of a broad extent of coun- 

 try, which he has no ability to occupy or cultivate. Nature 

 will sometimes do all necessary pruning; but she will be a 

 long period doing it. Hence we pinch and prune, to aid 

 Nature both in facilitating her operations, and in perform- 

 ing her allotted tasks in a skillful and artistic manner. As 

 has already been stated, many trees will grow and develop 

 almost every branch and bud in a symmetrical and artist- 

 ic manner. So, many children seem to grow up to man- 

 hood and womanhood complete ladies and gentlemen, with- 

 out any apparent training. Still, there is a law in fruit- 

 culture which requires the exercise of the cultivator's 

 judgment in pinching and pruning; and he who under- 

 takes to evade or ignore it in the neglect of his fruit- 



