234 THE .ORCHARD. [MARCH 



FORCING FRUIT-TREES. 



Continue the care of fruit-trees now forwarding in hot-walls and 

 forcing-houses ; such as peaches, nectarines, cherries, vines, &c. ; let 

 the fires be made every cold afternoon and morning, but regularly at 

 night; and as the season advances in heat, and the sun's power 

 increases, diminish the fires and admit more air ; occasional water- 

 ings will be very necessary to encourage the fruit to swell and grow 

 freely ; but be particular towards the latter end of the month, when 

 the sun gets powerful, to admit in proportion, and to manage the 

 plants in every respect as directed in February, page 147. 



THE ORCHARD. 



PRUNING. 



Finish pruning of all kinds of fruit-trees as early in this month as 

 possible, according to the rules laid down under the head Orchard 

 in January and February, to which I refer you for that, as well as 

 other useful information. 



In those parts of the Union where the winter is very severe and 

 the weather changeable, autumnal pruning of fruit-trees is not ad- 

 visable, particularly of stone fruit; for by pruning at that season, 

 especially if many limbs are cut off, you are apt to bring on the 

 canker. The exposure of the wounds, the almost dormant state of 

 the sap, together with the additional check to its slow, but certain 

 ascent to. the extremities occasioned by the amputation of limbs, &c., 

 predispose to mortification ; whereas, in early spring, when the sap 

 may be expected soon to follow the knife, the lips will quickly grow 

 and heal over. 



It is universally admitted, that the sap continues to flow, though 

 slowly, in the milder parts of the winter days, and that it must rise 

 continually during the winter months in evergreen trees, otherwise 

 their foliage would wither ; and also in deciduous trees (that is, such 

 as shed their leaves in winter) ; because the branch of an evergreen 

 tree will grow on a deciduous tree, and not lose its leaves in winter, 

 as the Prunus Lauro-Cerasus, or European laurel, on a cherry; and 

 the evergreen oak, on a common oak. 



When pruning is judiciously done, and at a proper time, if the 

 branches are small, a fresh bark and fresh wood will, in one season, 

 completely cover the wounds ; but if large, a time proportionate to 

 the size will be necessary for their covering and healing; this pro- 

 cess, however, is much accelerated by the application of a proper 

 composition, which excludes the air and wet, protects the wounds 

 from the effects of the various changes of the weather, the surround- 

 ing bark from any injury by insects of worms, and yields to its 

 growth ; all these ends will be effectually answered by an applica- 



