140 OF PRUNING. SECT. 



ward and outward. Never shorten in summer, 

 (which would produce too many fresh shoots) except 

 it be a forward shoot to make wood where it may be 

 wanting ; but where the tree is really too thick of 

 wood, cut clean out what may be spared. None of 

 the shoots produced after Midsummer should be 

 nailed in, except where wood is evidently wanting to 

 fill a naked place. 



The proper use of nails and shreds is necessary to 

 the beauty of the tree, as well as a regular disposi- 

 tion of the branches; and in this business ingenuity 

 will evidence itself in neatness and symmetry. 



Nails that are weak and small can hardly be used, 

 for they must be of sufficient strength to hold fast ; 

 but yet large nails do not look well, and they hurt 

 the wall more than smaller. There is, however, a 

 sort made on purpose for this work, with flat heads, 

 and robust shanks, called garden nails, and these 

 are generally to be used; there is yet a smaller sort, 

 with flat heads, that, in many cases, might do, and 

 they have somewhat the advantage in neatness. In 

 default of these there are to/j nails, of two or three 

 sizes, that may be brought into use. It is proper to 

 have two sizes, the larger for strong and the smaller 

 weak shoots : trees trained to wood can hardly have 

 nails too small. 



Shreds should be adapted to the strength of the 

 branches, and the distance of the buds from each 

 other; so that with strong shoots, having their buds 

 wide, such broad shreds may be used, that would 

 make weak shoots unsightly, and spoil them by co- 

 vering the buds ; many a well cut tree has been made 

 disgusting, merely by irregular and dangling shreds. 

 An uniformity of colour can hardly be accomplished, 

 but a regularity of size may; scarlet, if all alike, 

 looks best; and white the worst. The general width 

 of shreds should be from half an inch to three qua?* 



