172" OF PRUNING. SECT. 



shoots, a judicious pruner will yet be able to ma- 

 nceuvre it into form in a year or two, and this must 

 be? effected by close pruning the first year. 



The second year (rather in spring) attend to the 

 head, and cut out, or shorten, so as to provide for 

 the future form and strength of the tree ; reserving 

 only such shoots as recommend themselves for their 

 position and vigour, as widely placed as may be 

 from each other, and but few in number. After this, 

 the head will form itself, so as to need only cutting 

 clean out a few superfluities : but -no shortening is 

 allowed, except some of the lowest branches, or any 

 one where wood is wanted to fill a vacancy ; for 

 which purpose, a weak shoot may do, cut down to 

 one or two eyes. 



If trees are too full of wood, the shoots must ne- 

 cessarily be drawn weak and long jointed, and so be 

 the less fruitful, and unable to support the fruit they 

 have; but on the other hand, too much pruning wirL 

 occasion a tree to be always putting forth more un- 

 fruitful wood, and so a medium must be observed. 

 The branches should be kept about six inches 

 asunder; and as superfluous weak shoots will of 

 course be cut out, so let also the over strong wood : 

 for though it is desirable to have standard trees of 

 able wood, yet those shoots that much exceed the 

 size of the rest, would, if left on, weaken the others, 

 and make an awkward tree. 



Let no shoots remain on the stems, below the 

 head, nor suckers above the roots. With respect to 

 cherry trees, rather than cut more than necessary, 

 drooping branches may be suffered, as the fruit is 

 not heavy, and the heads of cherry trees may be 

 fuller than other fruit trees. Wherever a cut is 

 made in a full headed standard to shorten a shoot, 

 if should be (generally) at an eye situated within 

 side, that so the shoot from it may naturally pomt. 



