P R U 



P R U 



These trees must be primed twice every year, 

 as in summer and winter. 



In the summer pruning, the irregularity of 

 the numerous shoots should be reformed, begin- 

 ning in May or early in June, and rubbing or 

 cutting off close all fore-right and back shoots, 

 and all superfluities or very rude growths ; re- 

 taining, however, in every part, a full supply of 

 the regular side-shoots, as succession-wood for 

 the next year's bearing, training them in at full 

 length, as above, to remain till the winter 

 pruning; as it is of importance to leave more 

 than a suflSciency of the well -placed shoots at 

 this season, to have plenty in every part to 

 choose from in the general winter pruning. 

 See Pruning. 



In the winter pruning, a general reform 

 should be made in all the branches and shoots, 

 retrenching all worn-out and old naked branches 

 ill-furnished with bearing-wood; at the same 

 time selecting and retaining, in every part, the 

 best shoots for next summer's bearing, cutting 

 out close all the superfluous or unnecessary and 

 ill-placed shoots, and reducing part of the 

 former year's bearers and unfruitful old branches 

 in every part of the tree, to make due room to 

 train the necessary supply of young wood at 

 proper distances : being careful, in retrenching 

 the old wood occasionally, to prune it down 

 either to a young shoot, or to some convenient 

 branch it supports, which is furnished with one 

 or more such shoots, so as every branch may 

 also terminate in a young shoot for its leader, 

 cutting off all the small shoots arising from the 

 aides of the main ones, and letting the general 

 supply of young wood in every part be now 

 shortened moderately, according to theirstreno th : 

 the smaller shoots njay be cut to about eight or 

 ten inches, the middling ones to twelve or fif- 

 teen, and the strong shoots to eighteen inches or 

 two feet long, pruning them generally to a 

 wood-bud, in order to obtain a thoot at the end 

 for a leader. All dead wood, cankered parts, 

 decayed spurs, and stumps should be cut out ; 

 and as soon as one tree is pruned, let it be di- 

 rectly nailed, which should be performed with 

 great regularity, training all the branches, &c. 

 horizontally, as straight and close to the wall 

 as possible, at equal distances. See Pruning. 



When these trees are of a strong vigorous 

 growth, the shoots should be left thicker or 

 more abundant than in moderate shooting trees, 

 shortening them less in proportion, that by di- 

 viding the sap among many and a greater ex- 

 tent of branches, the luxuriancy may be re- 

 strained, as the more the strong young wood in 

 a luxuriant tree is pruned, or the shoots short- 



ened, the more vigorous the tree shoots, and 

 produces little fruit. See Amygdalus. 



The old trees should be well attended to in 

 pruning, to continue them in a good fruitful 

 state, by encouraging young wood in proper 

 abundance ; as by this care the trees not only 

 more certainly produce crops, but the fruit ge- 

 nerally ripens earlier, and has a peculiar richer 

 vinous flavour. As these old trees are apt to 

 run up naked below in the main branches, care 

 should be taken when young wood advances in 

 these parts, as well as in all vacant spaces, to 

 preserve it so as to continue all the parts of the 

 tree, from bottom upwards, regularly furnished 

 with bearing wood. 



In respect to old decayed trees, Mr. Forsyth 

 says, " it has been the general practice to train 

 wall-trees in the form of a fan, which occasions 

 the sap to rise too freely to the top, leaving the 

 lower part almost naked ; so that scarcely one 

 quarter of the wall is covered with bearing 

 wood." flc says that, " in that case, it will 

 be necessary to cut down the whole of the tree, 

 as near to the place where it was budded as pos- 

 sible, always cutting it at an eye or a joint: if 

 there should be any young shoots on the lower 

 part of the tree, it will be proper to leave them, 

 training them horizontally, which will check 

 the flow of the sap, and thereby render them 

 much more fruitful." He adds that, " very 

 frequently, when large branches have been cut 

 oft" in a careless manner, and the wounds left 

 to nature, the whole tree is infected with the 

 gum and canker; which, if not checked, will 

 in a short time totally ruin it : the best remedy 

 in this case is, he thinks, carefully to pare off 

 the cankered part of the bark with a draw-knife, 

 or other convenient instrument. You will fre- 

 quently find the white inner bark infected, 

 which must also be cut away, till no appearance 

 of infection remains ; this may be easily known 

 by the brown or black spots, like dots made 

 with a pen, of which not one must be sufliered 

 to remain : all the branches so cut and pared 

 should, he says, be immediately covered with 

 the composition in a liquid state." And " as 

 we sometimes see walls with all the trees in- 

 fected, it will in that case be most prudent to 

 cut every other tree, leaving the rest for a sup- 

 ply of fruit till those whicii are cut beo;in to 

 bear ; this will be in the second or third year : 

 when trees are in a very bad condition, they 

 should, he thinks, be cut in a partial manner, 

 taking off the worst branches first, particularly 

 those in the middle of the tree, always cutting 

 as near to the graft as possible ; or every other 

 branch may at first be taken out, leaving the 



