148 OF PRUNING. SECT. XII, 



inches asunder, according to the size of the wood 

 and fruit. 



Luxuriant wood, i. e. those shoots that are gi- 

 gantic, must be taken out from the rest, as they 

 would impoverish the good, and destroy the weak 

 branches, and are never fruitful; but if a tree is 

 generally luxuriant, it must be borne with, and the 

 less it is cut, comparatively speaking, the better. 

 Such a tree, after a few years, may come to bear 

 well; and when it begins to shoot moderately, some 

 of the biggest wood may be taken out each year, or 

 shortened down to two or three eyes, and so brought 

 into order. The more horizontally free shooting trees 

 are trained the better, as the bending of the shoots 

 checks the sap. A strong shoot or two, of a very 

 luxuriant tree, may be trained perpendicular for a 

 time, to keep the horizontals more moderate and likely 

 to bear. 



As the pruner is to begin below, and towards the 

 stem, so the object in thinning must be, to prefer and 

 to leave those shoots that are placed lowest on the 

 branches, that so the tree may be furnished towards 

 the center. See that those left are sound, and not 

 too weak, or over strong, for the moderate shoots 

 generally bear best, Weak shoots are always more 

 fruitful than strong ones; and if they are furnished 

 with fair blossoms, should be kept where a tree is 

 full of wood, and even preferred to moderate ones, 

 on a very flourishing tree. 



In this thinning business, the young pruner must 

 be content to go on deliberately, that he may consider 

 well before the knife is applied. To make a proper 

 choice is the great point. After hesitating, to be 

 sometimes at a loss, must not discourage a learner, 

 for good primers often are, and no two adepts would 

 chuse just the same shoots for reserve. 



The next object is to furnish a tree. In order to 



