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" much, blossom buds are produced less abundantly, for 

 " leaves are more necessary for the health of the plant and 

 " by a wise provision, the parts less requisite for individual 

 t( vigour are superseded by the parts more needed. On 

 " the other hand if the branches are left too thick they 

 " over-shadow those beneath them and so exclude the light 

 "as to prevent that elaboration of the sap without which 

 " no blossom buds are formed ; but induce an excessive 

 "production of leaves in the vain effort to attain by an 

 "enlarged surface that elaboration which a smaller sur- 

 face would effect in a more intense light. The season 

 " for pruning must be regulated in some degree by the 

 " strength of the tree, for although, as a general rule the 

 " operation should not take place till the fall of the leaf 

 "indicates that vegetation has ceased, yet if the 

 "tree be weak, it may often be performed with ad- 

 " vantage a little earlier, but still so late in the 

 " Autumn as to prevent the immediate protrusion 

 " of fresh shoots. The chief guide in pruning consists 

 'in being well acquainted with the mode of the bear- 

 " ing of the different sorts of tree the peculiar caste of tree 

 " and the circumstances under which it is cultivated, and 

 "forming an early judgment of future eventa of shoots 

 " and branches and many other circumstances for which seme 

 ft general rule may be given ; but there are particular instan- 

 " ces and requirements which cannot be judged of but upon 

 " the spot and depend chiefly on practice and observation. 

 " Young shoots require thinning to preserve the beauty of 

 " the trees and to encourage the fruit, and the sooner this 

 " is performed the better. It is therefore advisable 

 " to begin early in May removing all superfluous growths 

 ( ' and ill placed shoots which may be done with considerably 

 " more expedition than when such have attained a consider - 

 " able length. When however a tree is inclined to luxu- 

 " riance it is proper to retain as many of the regular and 

 " properly placed shoots as can bo commodiously trained 

 " with any regularity, in order to divide and exhaust the too 



