44 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



strings, which are wrapped round the bud ; and if 

 the bark of the stock is found spreading open, the 

 ligature must be carefully tightened, and suffered 

 to remain some time longer. Mr. Yates, of Alba- 

 ny, says, that to satisfy his curiosity, he made the 

 experiment of budding in the spring, when the sap 

 juice is in full motion, and found it to succeed ; but 

 the insertion of the bud is more difficult than to do 

 it in the summer season. A tree thus inoculated, 

 will bear fruit one year sooner than one budded in 

 the next summer season, and as soon as one budded 

 the summer preceding. 



NURSERY PRUNING. 



Young trees properly pruned in the nursery, will, 

 it is said, come to bearing sooner, and continue in 

 vigour for nearly double the common time. All 

 superfluous or rambling branches should be taken 

 off annually, and only three or four leading shoots 

 be left to every head. Thus managed, the trees 

 will not require to be lopped for a considerable 

 time ; and as they will have no wounds open in the 

 year when transplanted, their growth will be great- 

 ly promoted. The more the range of branches 

 shoots circularly, inclining upwards, the more equal- 

 ly will the sap be distributed, and th better the tree 

 bear. Mr. Cooper, a very intelligent cultivator, re- 

 marks, that the side shoots should not be cut close 

 to the stem, as the whole growth is thereby forced 

 to the top, which becomes so weighty as to bend 

 and spoil the tree. A better method is, to cut the 

 ends of the side shoots so as to keep the tree in a 

 spiral form, which will encourage the growth of the 

 trunk, until it acquires strength to support a good 

 top. The side shoots may then be cut close. In 

 forming the top, Mr. C. has found it necessary to 

 lighten the east and northeast sides, as fruit trees 

 generally incline that way; and to encourage the 



