CHAPTER XL 



PRUNING. 



This subject has been discussed for many years ; much 

 has been said and written upon it, but even now it is 

 very imperfectly understood by the masses of people, and 

 often wholly disregarded. Our climate, it is true, is very 

 favorable to the growth and perfect development of fruit 

 trees, and renders unnecessary much of the labor and ex- 

 pense attached to fruit raising in some other countries, 

 but to obtain the best results, even in this genial climate, 

 pruning for some purpose will be necessary through all 

 the successive stages. While intelligent pruning is ever 

 productive of the most satisfactory results, an entirely 

 different effect is produced when it is performed in a 

 bungling manner without any regard to the object to be 

 accomplished. The time and manner of pruning will be 

 determined by the purpose in view and the nature and 

 condition of the tree. 



We prune all parts of a tree, at various seasons of the 

 year, to accomplish very different purposes. In this 

 country it is practiced principally to regulate the shape, 

 to produce a vigorous growth, or to induce greater fruit- 

 fulness. When the first of these is the object in view, it 

 will be necessary to do some pruning at almost every sea- 

 son of the year. While at the South all large limbs, 

 which through neglect have been left to grow in an un- 

 favorable position, should be removed in the fall, it will 



