HOW TO GROW GOOD ORCHARDS. 331 



cuttings. Here, however, the cutting was a large 

 branch, but for general purposes we should recom- 

 mend cuttings to be made of small unbranched 

 shoots ; these may be planted in rows in a somewhat 

 shaded situation, and when they have become rooted 

 and fit for independent trees, they may be removed 

 to their permanent places, and so be cither pruned 

 for tall orchard trees, or, as they are well adapted to 

 the purpose, be trained for dwarf orchards. 



Priming, in the cultivation and due keeping of an 

 orchard, is one of the most important operations 

 connected with the subject. Its objects are : — 



1st. To circumscribe the growth in any given 

 direction, to train the tree on the one hand, and to 

 let in light and air by thinning on the other. 



2nd. By pruning fruit trees we operate so as to 

 check undue growth of wood and leaf, and thus, by 

 what the botanist calls the " arrestation of deve- 

 lopment," cause flower and fruit to be formed instead 

 of leaves. In the western counties, if a tree or plant 

 of any kind grows leaves too freely, it is said to be 

 too "frum," probably derived from the Saxon from, 

 strong, stout. 



Pruning, then, hastens the fruiting season in fruit 

 trees, but at the same time it brings on premature 

 age, and hence the operation should be performed 

 with judgment, or else premature decay will be the 

 consequence. In pruning of large trees care should 

 be taken to cut out, as smoothly as possible, all 

 awkward or crossing branches, so as to expose the 

 whole of the fruiting limbs to light, warmth, and 

 air. This again is an operation requiring an ex- 

 perienced hand, and when such an one is known, it 



