RENOVATING OLD ORCHARDS. 



r>7 



the leading branches. But a word of caution is here 

 needful as to some varieties, such as Devonshire Quar- 

 renden or Worcester Pearmain, which fruit only on the 

 terminal buds of the current season's growth. 



In cutting away branches, where it is needful to use a 

 saw, cut as close as possible to the union, taking great 

 care not to allow the branch, in fall- 

 ing, to split and tear away a portion 

 of the wood or bark. To avoid this, 

 cut round the under side of the 

 branch before sawing through from 

 above. In every case of using the 

 saw, be very careful to trim off all 

 roughness left by the saw with a 

 sharp knife, and finish with a clean 

 cut of the bark round the outside. 

 This should be done in order to allow 

 the wound to heal over as soon as 

 possible by the growth of fresh bark, 

 which it will rapidly do after a clean 

 cut as above directed. 



In thinning some of the outer 

 branches which are difficult to reach 

 by hand, it will be needful to use one 

 of the pruning appliances for this 

 purpose, one of the best being the 

 one shown (Fig. 11). But it is always 

 best, where possible, to use the knife ; 

 and in the case of all small growth 

 let each shoot be shortened with a 

 clean cut behind the bud. Two useful 

 hand pruners are also shown (Figs. 

 12 and 13). FIG. 11. 



