224 THE FRUIT GARDEN. [MARCH 



The heads should be cut down to about five, six, or seven eyes 

 or buds from the bottom ; and if there are two shoots from the same 

 stock let them both be cut down as above. 



By this practice the trees will produce some strong shoots near the 

 ground, whereby they will be furnished equally with branches from 

 the bottom -to the top of the wall or espalier. But if the trees were 

 not to be headed down as above, they would run up with a stem like 

 a standard tree, and not furnish any branches below, within two or 

 three feet of the bottom; whereby the use of such part of the espalier 

 or wall would be lost. 



Such young apricot, peach, and nectarine-trees as were headed 

 down a year ago, and having each produced three, four, or more 

 shoots the last summer, should now have these shortened to such 

 length as may encourage each shoot to produce two or three new ones 

 the same season. 



The method is this : let each shoot be shortened generally in some 

 degree of proportion to its strength ; in some pruning off about one- 

 half or third of their original length ; and in others a little more or 

 less, according to circumstances of growth and situation of the trees; 

 as for instance, shoots of about two feet may be cut to ten, twelve, 

 or fifteen inches, or a little longer in strong growths ; for the strongest 

 shoots should always be left the longest; and those about twelve to 

 fifteen or eighteen inches pruned to six, eight, ten, or twelve inches 

 in length; and so in proportion to the different lengths and degrees 

 of strength, and particular situation of the respective shoots. (See 

 January, &c.) 



By this practice each of these shoots will probably produce two, 

 three, or four new shoots the succeeding summer, so that by October 

 each young tree, so treated, will be furnished with from twelve or 

 fifteen to eighteen or twenty shoots, or more. 



The trees may then be pruned according to the method directed 

 for the older trees of that sort, observing still to shorten the young 

 shoots, but in such a manner as they may both produce fruit and a 

 supply of young wood, as in the full-bearing trees aforesaid ; that is, 

 generally to prune the weaker shoots about one-half, the stronger 

 ones prune about a third or fourth of their length, according to 

 strength and where situated, and the situation of the blossom and 

 wood-buds on the respective shoots; then nail them straight and 

 close to the walls, or tie them to the espalier with willow twigs, &c., 

 three or four to five or six inches asunder. (See Fruit Garden in 

 January, &c.) 



PRUNING AND TRAINING YOUNG APPLE, PEAR, PLUM, AND CHERRY- 

 TREES FOR ESPALIERS AND WALLS. 



Any young dwarf apple, pear, plum, and cherry-trees, lately 

 planted against walls or espaliers, &c., or still remaining in the nursery 

 with their first shoots, of only a year or two old entire, should now 

 be pruned down to a few eyes that they may put out some good 

 shoots near the ground, to furnish the bottom of the wall or espalier 

 therewith. 



