CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



lion and mismanagement, and, especially, the not am- 

 putating dead limbs, and extirpating all infected parts 

 of fruit trees, subjects them to disease, mortification 

 and death. An unpruned tree, left in a natural stale, 

 will bear fruit sooner than one that is pruned ; for by 

 pruning, the parts below the lopped or amputated 

 branches become viviparious, and produce new leaf 

 buds, which require several years before they will ac- 

 quire sufficient maturity to generate flower buds, to 

 produce an oviparous progeny ; but unpruned trees 

 grow and look irregular and unsightly ; nor is their 

 fruit to be compared to that of trees properly pruned 

 and managed, in order to afford them a more equal 

 advantage of the sun and air, by means whereof they 

 will produce fruit better in size and quality." 



The two great practical errours which have hith- 

 erto prevailed, and by which fruit trees have suffered 

 irreparable injury, are, 1. The season of the year ; 

 and 2. The awkward and unskilful manner in which 

 the operation has been performed. Jn general, the 

 months of February and March have been considered 

 as the preferable season for pruning, and not unfre- 

 quently the executioner is sent into the tree with his 

 exterminating axe, where he commences an almost in- 

 discriminate slaughter, leaving long projecting stumps, 

 and disregarding equally the form and beauty of the 

 tree, and the particular branches and spurs upoa 

 which the future crop principally depend. In March, 

 the sap is retained in the roots, and the bark adheres 

 closely to the wood ; consequently, the wounds occa- 

 sioned by the amputation of branches being exposed 

 to the cold, penetrating winds and frosts, before the 

 circulation of the sap, become dry, rotten, and can- 

 kered, and often crack open nearly to the main trunk. 

 In old orchards, particularly, if limbs of any consider- 

 able size are lopped off, several inches from the trunk, 

 before the sap is in active motion, the fresh bark 



