1 8 ORCHARD-HOUSES. 



closely shut, and open only in mild weather. If 

 the soil in the pots be moist when covered with 

 leaves in autumn, they will probably not require 

 watering more than once or twice during the 

 winter ; if not dry as dust, the plants will be none 

 the worse for having been kept without much water 

 whilst destitute of leaves. 



When the buds are swelling, prune the trees if 

 they require it, and put them in the places which 

 they are intended to occupy during summer. In 

 pruning, care should be taken to cut to a wood- 

 bud, otherwise all the fruit on a leafless branch 

 will fall afterwards. However pruned, a few 

 branches will be in this leafless state at the time 

 of blooming; these may be at once cut back to 

 where there are leaves. If the plants have been 

 properly grown the previous year, they will re- 

 quire little or no cutting. Stopping during sum- 

 mer answers the same purpose as pruning in 

 spring that is, keeping the plant compact and of 

 the shape preferred. Many persons think they 

 must commence the culture of every fruit tree by 

 pruning it, and because fresh-planted trees are 

 often better for having a few of their branches 

 shortened to counterbalance the mutilation of their 



