360 BRITISH HUSBANDRY. [Ch.XXXI. 



around them until their growth renders them firm. The shoots of the head 

 should be cut to about one-third of their length, and formed by keeping 

 the centre chiefly open, about the month of April, after they are planted : 

 they should also be trained to spring as horizontally as possible from the 

 main stem. 



The common practice is to allow every tree to take its own natural 

 shape, merely lopping off such branches as hang too near the ground, or 

 appear too crowded ; but some intelligent planters recommend their being 

 trained into a pyramidal or conical form, as allowing greater play of the 

 sun and air upon the branches, and they pay iireat attention to having 

 the tree equally balanced. Thus, in the annexed figure of a wall-tree — as 

 described in Mr, Lambert's observations on gardening — and which can be 

 applied to standards — he advises a a to be cut away altogether, as being 

 secondary branches, too far from the main stem ; leaving, if necessary, the 

 secondary shoots bb to fill up the vacancy, as springing from a branch near 

 the stem. He also recommends " to head down the leader every vear, at c, 

 leaving two shoot-buds on each side as at d d, and to make your section as 

 close as possible to the fifth bud, or one or two, more or less as the case 

 may be ; as, if you leave any wood above that bud which you intend for 

 a leader, it will rot down to it, and the leading bud will be more likely to 

 fail ; but, if cut close, it will soon cicatrize." 



With regard to prumng, indeed, all secondary shoots should be dis- 

 couraf^ed ; for, if too much wood be allowed towards the extremities of the 

 branclies, thev often become naked towards the stems, and should be 

 shortened*, and all dead, barren, and unprofitable branches should be 

 annually cut awav with caution. The young shoots on the side-branches 

 and about the fruit-spurs, which make their appearance throughout May 

 and June, should also be pinched off, as they rob the fruit and other parts 

 of the tree of nutriment. Large branches should, however, be rarely or 

 never amputated. The most approved method of pruning is that of ren- 

 dering the points of the external branches thin and pervious to the light, 

 so that the internal branches of the tree may not be wholly shaded by the 

 outward parts. The instrument generally used fur this purpose is a strong 



* This more particularly applies to pears and plums than lo apples ; but cherry-trees 

 should not be touched, as they bear the knife badly, and do not run much to wood in 

 the extremities. Lambert " on Farming, Planting, and Gardening,'" p. 290. 



