4 NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 



Pruning may be classed under three heads, viz : 

 Rest or Winter pruning, Summer pruning, and root pruning. 

 A very great diversity of opinion exists on the subject of 

 pruning apple trees ; while some advocate a vigorous use 

 of the knife, others condemn the practice. Our own 

 opinion is that the knife should be sparingly used on 

 young standard trees : which must, however, be worked 

 into symmetrical form, and this should be done in the 

 nursery ; when this has been properly attended to, the 

 only after pruning necessary will be to keep the centre of 

 the tree as open as possible, and to remove all branches 

 which have a tendency to grow out of their place. This 

 may be achieved by the simple but much neglected system 

 known as Summer pruning or stopping. If this is attended 

 to, there will be little necessity for the knife. 



Large orchard trees, when in their prime, require very 

 little pruning ; once in three years may then suffice to 

 regulate them. Their pruning will simply consist of a 

 slight thinning out of exhausted or cross boughs, which, 

 situated in the interior of the tree, cannot bring fruit to 

 perfection, and, in bearing, rob the superior parts of the 

 tree. When, however, the trees become somewhat aged, 

 they require more attention ; for when it is found that they 

 cannot bring all the fruit which may " set " to perfection, 

 it becomes necessary to sacrifice some portion, in order to 

 throw strength into the remainder. As long as the tree 

 continues to bear at all, the best fruit will ever be at the 

 extremities of the boughs ; nature, therefore, must be 

 followed, or rather in this case anticipated. Once in a 

 couple of years the trees should be gone over, and much 

 of the interior wood cut away. The wearing-out wood 

 may readily be distinguished by its stunted character, and 

 frequently by its dead parts, which may be taken as an 

 indication of the breaking up of the constitution of the tree. 

 There is no occasion to prune the extreme points ; the 

 removal of the larger decaying branches will suffice. It 

 often happens, nevertheless, that a good deal of young 

 annual spray grows out of the old branches ; such, oc- 

 casionally, should be thinned away, or it will decoy the sap 

 from the more important portions of the trees. Winter 

 pruning may be performed any time between May and 

 the middle of August. 



