222 



PRUNING. 



ing we commenced the head with three branches at time 

 of planting, there will be, at the end of the first season, 

 six. 



The attention required after this will be to maintain an 

 uniform growth among these six branches, and their mem- 

 bers and divisions, and to prevent the growth of shoots 

 in the center. The leading defect in all our orchard trees 

 is too much wood, the heads are kept so dense with 

 small shoots that the sun and air are, in a great measure, 

 excluded, and the fruit on the outside of the tree only 

 is marketable or fit for use. The head should be kept 

 open, rather in the form of a vase, so that the wood, 

 leaves, blossoms and fruit may all, on every part, enjoy 

 the full benefit of the sun and air, without which they 

 cannot perform their functions, or attain maturity and 

 perfection. 



Too many people imagine that trees can take care of 

 themselves, as trees in the forest, 

 on the ground that nature pre- 

 serves a balance in all her works ; 

 but it should be borne in mind 

 that a fruit tree is not exactly a 

 natural production. It is far re- 

 moved from the natural state by 

 culture, and the farther it is re- 

 moved, that is, the more its nature 

 is refined and improved, the more 

 care it requires. Fig. 108 repre- 

 sents a young standard pear tree, 

 stem four feet high, and the head 

 twice cut back, as at the letters a 

 and b. 



Pinching. If this be properly 

 attended to, very little knife prun- 

 ing will be necessary, except to shorten the leading 

 shoots, because as soon as a superfluous or misplaced 



Fig. 108. A YOUNG 

 STANDARD PEAR-TREE. 



Trunk 4 feet high ; head for- 

 ward on three main branch- 

 es, twice primed at A and B. 



