PRUNING. 115 



parts being pruned long, present a great number of buds, 

 which produce a large surface of leaves, and these attract 

 the sap and acquire a vigorous growth. This principle 

 holds good in all trees, under whatever form they may be 

 conducted. 



" (2.) Leave a large quantity of fruit on the strong part, 

 and remove the whole, or greater part\ from the feeble. We 

 know already that the fruit has the property of attracting 

 to it the sap from the roots, and of employing it entirely 

 to its own growth. The necessary result of this is, Avhat we 

 are about to point out, viz., that all the sap which arrives 

 in the strong parts, will be absorbed by the fruits, and the 

 wood there, in consequence, will make but little growth; 

 while on the feeble part, deprived of fruits, the sap will 

 all be appropriated by the growing parts, and they will 

 increase in size and strength. 



" (3.) Send the strong parts, and Jceep the weak erect. 

 The more erect the branches and stem are, the greater will 

 be the flow of sap to the growing parts ; hence, the feeble 

 parts being erect, attract much more sap than the strong 

 parts inclined, and, consequently, make a more vigorous 

 growth and soon recover their balance. This remedy is 

 more especially applied to espalier trees. 



" (4.) Remove from the vigorous parts the superfluous 

 shoots as early in the season as possible, and from the 

 feeble parts as late as possible. The fewer the number of 

 young shoots there are on a branch, the fewer there are 

 of leaves, and consequently the less is the sap attracted 

 there. Hence, in leaving the young shoots on the feeble 

 part, their leaves attract the sap there, and induce a vigor- 

 ous growth. 



u (5.) Pinch early the soft extremities of the shoots on the 

 vigorous parts, and as late as possible on the feeble parts, 

 excepting always any shoots which may be too vigorous 

 for their position. By thus pinching early, the strong 

 part, the flow of sap to that point is checked, and natural- 



