208 THE FRUIT-GARDEN. [MARCH. 



Pruning and training young Afijile, Pear, Plum and Cherry Trees, 

 for Espaliers and Walls. 



Any young dwarf apples, pears, plums, and cherry trees, lately 

 planted against walls or espaliers, Sec. 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. 



If the heads of these trees are but one year's growth from the 

 bud or graft, let them be shortened to four or five eyes ; observing 

 to do it just as they begin to form buds for shooting. 



Suppose they are two years from the bud or graft, and the first 

 shoots were cut down, as above, last spring ; let the shoots which 

 were produced from them the last summer be also shortened now, 

 to six, eight, or ten inches. 



The same rule holds good with these, at first training as, men- 

 tioned for the apricots and peaches ; for it is on shortening properly 

 the first and second year's shoots, from the budding and grafting, 

 that the whole success depends for forming a useful handsome 

 tree ; as when a young wall or espalier tree is well furnished with 

 branches near the ground, these will readily supply you with more 

 in their turn, to furnish the wall or espalier upwards. 



But in the common course of pruning apples, pears, plums, and 

 cherries, their shoots and branches are not to be shortened ; for 

 after the young trees are furnished with a proper supply of branches 

 below, their shoots must then be trained to the wall at full length, 

 only shortening particular shoots when more wood may be required 

 to furnish that part, or where they grow too crowded ; as directed 

 in page 17, Sec. 



Pruning Fig -Trees. 



Some prune fig-trees, the latter end of autumn, which is a very 

 wrong practice, where severe winter frosts are prevalent ; as the 

 young shoots, which are the only bearing wood, are liable to be killed 

 in hard winters. If they were pruned in that season, and no more 

 left than what might then appear necessary, and severe frosts af- 

 terwards destroy many of those, you would have no resource left. 



Therefore, the better way is, to let the trees remain unpruned 

 till this time, and if some had been killed by the severity of the 

 winter, there will be a chance from among the whole, to find a 

 sufficiency for your purpose, that have escaped. Observing how- 

 ever, that the sooner this work is done after the severe frosts are 

 over, the better; for if delayed too long, the trees would bleed and 

 be injured thereby; but, in the southern states, the late autumn 

 pruning is preferable. 



Fig-trees agree with, and in fact require, great heat ; consequently, 

 in the eastern and middle states, they will thrive, and bear better, 

 when planted against walls, board fences, or espaliers, in warm ex- 



