THE FRUIT GARDEN. [JAN. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS IN PRUNING ALL THE ABOVE TREES. 



I observed above, that shortening the branches of apple, pear, 

 plum and cherry-trees, was not proper in the general course of prun- 

 ing; it, however, in some particular cases, is most necessary; for 

 which take the following hints : 



For example, when the trees, for walls and espaliers particularly, 

 are about one year old from the budding or grafting, either in the 

 nursery, or newly planted against walls or espaliers, with their first 

 shoot immediately from the budding or grafting, at full length, it 

 is proper to shorten or head down these shoots near the insertion of 

 the bud or graft, to force out lateral branches, which is called head- 

 ing down the trees ; but this should not be done till February or 

 March, cutting them down to four or five eyes ; which will procure a 

 production of lateral shoots near the head of the stock from these 

 remaining lower eyes or buds, the following summer, in order for 

 training in accordingly, that the wall or espalier may be regularly 

 furnished with branches from the bottom. After this, the branches 

 are to be trained along at their full length, except it appears neces- 

 sary to shorten some or all of these lateral shoots, in order that each 

 may throw out also two or three lateral branches to furnish that part 

 of the tree more effectually; training the said lateral shoots also at 

 their full length; but if there appear to be still more branches want- 

 ing, some of the most convenient of these last shoots may also be 

 shortened, to promote their producing a farther supply of lateral 

 branches, sufficient to give the tree its proper form ; for the great 

 article in this training- pruning is to encourage and assist young wall 

 and espalier fruit-trees in their first two or three years' growth, to 

 produce shoots in proper places, so as to cover the wall or espalier 

 regularly with branches from the bottom to the top. 



But when the trees have acquired branches enough to effect the 

 first proper formation of the head, they will afterwards naturally fur- 

 nish further supplies to cover the wall or espalier regularly every 

 way to the allotted extent, without any further shortening, except on 

 particular occasions, when a vacancy happens in any part, according 

 to the rule mentioned in the article of apples and pears. 



There is one thing further to be observed in pruning apple, pear, 

 plum, and cherry-trees ; and that is, when the trees have acquired 

 branches enough to cover the wall or espalier at the distance above 

 mentioned, then all those young shoots of the last summer's growth, 

 that are not wanted in vacancies to form new bearers, must be cut 

 off quite close to the place from whence they arise, leaving no spurs 

 but the fruit-spurs that are naturally produced, which every branch 

 will be plentifully furnished with if the above rules are observed. 



''<' PINCHING THE PEAR-TREE. 



Nipping with the finger and thumb the soft young shoots, forms 

 an excellent remedy for defects of growth. Following up this stop- 

 ping at regular intervals of the tree's growth, the operator secures a 



