214 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



sible, taking care to leave some small shoots, if 

 there be any; if not, a bud or two at the end of 

 some of the shoots. Sometimes it is difficult to 

 find any buds. In that case, before you mean to 

 head the trees, make some incisions in the branches. 

 This should be done on different branches, at the 

 most convenient places for filling the tree with good 

 wood. The size of the incisions should be from one 

 to two inches, according to the size of the branches, 

 observing to make them just above the joint, where 

 the buds should come out. 



" The time for performing this operation, is 

 March, April, or May. (In America, March.) 

 The above method is only recommended where 

 there are no young shoots or buds, and when the 

 tree is in the last stage of the canker. 



" Where you find a few young shoots or buds, 

 cut down the head as near to them as you can, and 

 take care to cut out all the canker till you come to 

 the sound bark. If any gum remains, it must be 

 cut or scraped off: the best time for this is when 

 it is moistened with rain; it may then be scraped 

 off without bruising the bark. This operation is 

 very necessary. 



" Wherever the bark or branches have been cut 

 off, the edges should be rounded, and the composi- 

 tion applied. If the young shoots are properly 

 trained, they will produce fruit the following year; 

 and in the second year they will produce more and 

 finer fruit than a young tree which has been planted 

 ten years. 



" Never make use of the knife in summer, if it be 

 possible to avoid it, as the shoots die from the place 

 where they are cut, leaving ugly dead stubs, which 

 will infallibly bring on the canker. These shoots 

 may be cut in the spring to about two eyes, which 

 will form a number of flower- buds. 



