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merely mean an operation of selection and thinning in fact 

 the removal of all that is useless, for the benefit of all that 

 is healtky and required. Any ordinary cooly will readily 

 understand the requirements of each individual tree at a 

 glance, and the Planter will be saved innumerable troubles 

 and anxieties. Gormandizers will simply refuse to grow 

 under such a plan, and although a scientific pruner may be 

 shocked at .such sacrilege, still I unhesitatingly suggest this 

 system as the only one suited for cultivation under shade. 

 Handling and pruning must be made subordinate to each 

 other, and if the former is carefully and skilfully carried 

 out, tbe latter will be always simplicity personified. Too 

 much care cannot be bestowed on handling and in the 

 strict selection of healthy shoots. Two shoots should never 

 be allowed to grow from one eye, neither should both eyes 

 at the same joint, be allowed to be taxed at once. Once- 

 a shoot is selected in April or May it should be looked 

 upon as confirmed in its appointment, and should be 

 tended and assisted with untiring care. After the first 

 selection, which should not be commenced until a sufficient 

 time has been allowed for shoots generally to appear no 

 others of a subsequent growth should be permitted to re- 

 main. 



After a month's hardening off, the selected shoots will 

 be so much larger than any of the new comers, and also be 

 of so much darker a color that even unskilled labor may be 

 employed to remove those sprouts which are not wanted. 

 All vertical suckers should of course be kept down ; and 

 by the time the heavy rains may generally be expected, 

 the stock of wood for the coming season will not only 

 be vigorous and healthy; but will be 'so far matured, as 

 not to offer the Rot a chance of destroying it. After the 

 heaviest rains are over much interesting work may be car- 

 ried out in attending to these selected shoots which would 

 of course include the " breaking back" to vigorous wood 

 as before casually mentioned, This can be done during 



