288 INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON VEGETATION. 



Mrs. B. True ; both root and branch require pruning 

 annually, when the plants are fresh potted. But observe 

 that the gardener takes care to atone, as far as lies in his 

 power, for the contracted sphere in which they vegetate, 

 by affording them as much food as can be contained in 

 so limited an extent of soil. 



Pruning fruit trees is done with the view of either in- 

 creasing the quantity, or ameliorating the quality, of the 

 produce. It consists in retarding the descent of the cam- 

 bium, in order that by remaining longer in the branches, it 

 may nourish them more abundantly. For this purpose, 

 the branches which grow vertically should be pruned, be- 

 cause the sap, descending through them straight down- 

 wards, moves with greater velocity than when it descends 

 obliquely, as it does in laternal branches. 



It has sometimes been found advantageous to bend 

 down the vertical branches, in order that the cambium 

 should be compelled to rise, in its return from the extrem- 

 ity of the branch ; and the time required to overcome this 

 difficulty retards its march, and enables the branches to 

 absorb more nourishment from it, during its passage, 

 i Espaliers are usually trained in the form of a fan, by 

 cutting away the central stem : or the stem may be pre- 

 served, provided that the branches be trained laterally; for 

 it is in these, rather than in the stem, that it is essential 

 to diminish the velocity of the cambium. 



You recollect my having already made you acquainted 

 with three species of buds : those which produce fruit ; 

 those which develope leaves only ; and those of a mixed 

 nature, containing both fruit and leaves. 



Caroline. Yes ; and we observed that the more fruit 

 buds escape the pruning knife, the greater will be the 

 crop of fruit. 



Mrs. B. Care should be taken, however, not to leave 

 more fruit buds on the tree, than the sap will be able to 

 bring to perfection, else the quality of the fruit will be de- 

 teriorated. Good gardening consists in preserving as many 

 fruit buds, as the tree can nourish without exhaustion ; 



1554. How should greenhouse plants be pruned! 1555. With 

 what view are fruit trees pruned, and in what does it consist! 1556. 

 What advantage results from bending down the branches! 1557. 

 How are espaliers usually formed'? 1558. What three species of buds 

 are enumerated! 1559. In what consists good gardening. 



