298 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



layer of wood begins to form. The next best time 

 is the winter. Pruning should be carefully avoided 

 while the sap is flowing, as the extraction of that 

 fluid is injurious to all trees, and particularly so to 

 fruit trees. The reason why summer pruning is to 

 be preferred is found in the fact that the materials 

 for healing the wounds made by this operation have 

 been already elaborated, and are ready for deposi- 

 tion. The consequence is, that granulations of new 

 wood and bark are immediately formed, and, unless 

 the wounds are large, in consequence of previous 

 neglect in pruning, they will be closed almost at 

 once, and farther decay or other injury prevented. 

 A tine, sharp saw is the best instrument for pruning; 

 and in all cases, the stump or wound should be cov- 

 ered with a coating of some composition that will 

 exclude air and moisture. Tar stiffened with brick- 

 dust, or any other substance that will give it consist- 

 ence, makes a very good application, or thick paint 

 of any kind may be used. 



The kinds of apples cultivated have multiplied to 

 such an extent that an enumeration of the varieties 

 will not be here attempted. Fifteen hundred vari- 

 eties are now cultivated in the garden of the Horti- 

 cultural Society of London ; and more than two 

 hundred are known in the United States. Many of 

 these are of little value, and the kinds required to 

 constitute a good orchard are comparatively few in 

 number. The apple is most usually divided into 

 dessert, baking, and cider varieties ; but a division 

 into summer, autumn, and winter fruit will be best 

 understood. It is a singular fact, that many varie- 

 ties which have proved excellent when cultivated 

 abroad, have been found very inferior here, owing 

 to the chmate, or other causes not well understood; 

 and hence no imported kinds that have not been 

 tested by fruiting here can be fully relied on. We 

 give a few varieties of each division. 



