APPLES. 343 



gularity in forming the head be attended to and effected at 



first, there will be no difficulty in keeping it so afterwards, 



by observing either to prune to that bud immediately on the 



inside next to the centre of the tree, or that immediately on 



the outside. By this means, viewing it from the centre, the 



branches will be produced in a perpendicular line from the 



eye ; whereas, if pruned to a bud on the right or left side of 



the branch, the young shoot will be produced in the same 



direction : so that if the branches formed round a circle be 



not thus pruned to the eyes on the right successively, or the 



left successively, a very material difference will be found, 



and the regularity of the tree will be destroyed, in one single 



year's pruning ; which may be readily illustrated thus : 



Fix on four branches, either in a direct line, or to a circular 



hoop, at the distance of eight inches from each other : let 



the first branch on the left be called a, the second 6, the 



third c, the fourth d ; head down a to the left hand bud ; b 



to the right ; c to the left ; and d to the right. When these 



have grown a year, those between 6 and c will be only six 



inches apart, while those between a and b and between c 



and d will be ten inches : thus the distances now are not as 



eight to eight, but as six to ten ; which would require two 



years' pruning in a contrary direction to restore the head to 



its former regularity : and it must not be forgotten that this 



system of pruning will hold good in every other case. 



What has just been said, has reference only to the leading 

 shoots, which are always produced from the terminal buds 

 when pruned, and which alone form the figure and beauty 

 of the tree. The intermediate space must, of course, be 

 provided for at the same time, having a regard to the num- 

 ber of branches thus employed, that they do not crowd each 

 other. On the contrary, they must be kept thin, and perfect- 

 ly open, so as to admit plenty of sun and air, without which 

 .the fruit produced will be small and good for but little : the 

 middle of the tree, indeed, must be kept quite open from the 

 first to the last, taking care that all the surrounding branches 

 lead outwards, and preserving a regular distance from each 

 other. 



In pruning the supernumerary shoots, they should be cut 

 down to within an inch of the bottom, which will generally 

 cause the surrounding eyes to form natural blossom spurs ; 

 but where the tree is in a vigorous state of growth, branches 

 will probably be produced instead of spurs : if so, they must 



