Book II. CULTIVATING FARM ORCHARDS. 601 



diseases. When trees are thus planted on small hillocks, the under -drains may pass be- 

 tween the rows with greater utility. 



Sect. III. Of the Cultivation of Farm Orchards. 



3797. The trees being carefully planted, watered, and tied to tall strong stakes, require 

 little more than common attention for several years, Eveiy autumn or spring they 

 should be looked over, and all cross irregular shoots made during the preceding summer 

 cut out, suckers (if any) removed from their roots, and side growths cleared from their 

 stems. 



3798. The object in jrriining young trees, Nicol observes, is to form a proper head. 

 Generally speaking, the shoots may be pruned in proportion to their lengths, cutting clean 

 away such as cross one another, and fanning the tree out towards the extremities on all 

 sides; thereby keeping it equally poised, and fit to resist the effects of high winds. When 

 it is wished to throw a young tree into a bearing state, which should not be thought of, 

 however, sooner than the third or fourth year after planting, the leading branches should 

 be very little shortened, and the lower or side branches not at all ; nor should the knife be 

 used, unless to cut out such shoots as cross one ai^other. 



3799. After an orchard-tree is come into bearing, Abercrombie says, continue at the time 

 of winter pruning, either every year, or every two, three, or four years, as an occasion 

 is perceived, to cut out unproductive wood, crowded spray, and decayed parts. Also 

 reduce long and outrunning ramblers and low stragglers, cutting them to some good 

 lateral that grows within its limits. Where fruit-spurs are too numerous, then cut the 

 strongest and most unsightly. Also keep the tree pretty open in the middle. If it be 

 necessary to take off large branches from aged trees, use a chisel or saw, and afterwards 

 smooth the wound with a sharp knife. In case old wood is to be cut down to young 

 shoots springing below, to make the separation in summer will be of more advantage to 

 those young shoots, tliough it is not a common practice, on account of the liability of many 

 stone-fruit bearers to exude gum, when a large branch is lopped in the growing season. 

 Observe to keep the stem clear from all lateral shoots, and eradicate all suckers from 

 the root, 



3800. On aged trees, that have run into a confusion of shoots and branches, and whose 

 spurs have become clustered and crowded, tlie saw and the knife may be exercised with 

 freedom ; observing to cut clean away all useless spray, rotten stumps, and the like useless 

 excrescences. Thin out the spurs to a moderate consistency, so as to let the air circulate 

 freely among the leaves and fruit in the summer season, and to admit the rays of the sun, 

 so as to give the fruit color and flavor. 



3801. In pruning the apple tree and all other standard trees. Knight observes, the 

 points of the external branches should be every where rendered thin and pervious to the 

 light, so that the internal parts of the tree may not be wholly shaded by the external 

 parts : the light should penetrate deeply into the tree on every side ; but not any where 

 through it. When the pruner has judiciously executed his work, every part of the tree, 

 internal as well as external, will be productive of fruit,- and the internal part, in unfavor- 

 able seasons, will rather receive protection than injury from the external. A tree thus 

 pruned, will not only produce much more fruit, but will also be able to support a much 

 heavier load of it, without danger of being broken ; for any given weight will depress 

 the branch, not simply in proportion to its quantity, but in the compound proportion of its 

 quantity, and of its horizontal distance from the point of suspension, by a mode of action 

 similar to that of the weight on the beam of the steel- yard ; and hence a hundred and fifty 

 pounds, suspended at oiae foot distance from the trunk, will depress the branch which 

 supports it no more than ten pounds at fifteen feet distance would do. Every tree will, 

 therefore, support a larger weight of fruit without danger of being broken in proportion 

 <as the parts of such weight are made to approach nearer to its centre. 



3802. IFhere a tree is stinted, or the head ill shaped, from being originally badly pruned, 

 Or barren from having overborne itself) or from constitutional weakness, the most expe- 

 ditious remedy is to head down the plant to within three, four, or five eyes (or inches, if an 

 old tree) of the top of the stem, in order to furnish it with a new head. The recovery of 

 a languishing tree, if not too old, will be further promoted by taking it up at the same 

 time, and pruning the roots ; for as, on the one hand, the depriving too luxuriant a tree 

 of part even of its sound healthy roots will moderate its vigor ; so, on the other, to relieve a 

 stinted or sickly tree of cankered or decayed roots ; to prune the extremities of sound roots ; 

 and especially to shorten the dangling tap-roots of a plant, affected by a bad subsoil ; is, 

 in connection with heading down or very short pruning, the renovation of the soil, and 

 draining, the most availing remedy that can be tried. 



3803. A tree often becomes stinted from an accumulation of moss, which affects the 

 functions of tlie bark, and tenders the tree unfruitful. This evil is to be removed by 

 Scraping the stem and branches of old trees ; and on young trees a bard brush will effect 



