PACKING, PRUNING, PROTECTION, ETC. 29 



brancli to take as much as possible, an upright direction, we prune 

 to a bud on the inside ; and if we wish it to spread, we choose one 

 oil the outside. In the annual suppression, or cutting back of young 

 trees, the bud selected to form the leader is chosen on opposite sides 

 every successive year, in order to maintain the growth in a straight 

 line. If cut every year to a bud on the same side, it would, in two 

 or three seasons, show an inclination to that side injurious to the sym- 

 metry of the tree. 



"2%(? Removal of Large Branches, where they are to be entirely 

 separated from the tree, is often very clumsily performed. In 

 orchards it is not at all uncommon to see them chopped off with a 

 common axe ; and even in gardens there seem to be few persons 

 who take the proper care in this matter. They are either cut so that 

 a portion of the base of tlie branch remains, and sends out vigorous 

 shoots, defeating the objects of the pruning, or they are cut so close 

 that a portion of the wood of the main branch or stem is taken with 

 them, and a wound made that years are required to heal up. Both 

 these extremes ousrht to be avoided. 



" The surface of the cut made by the removal of a branch, should 

 in no ^se be larger than the base of the branch. Where a branch 

 is united to another, or to the main stem, we notice, both above and 

 below the point of union, a small projection or shoulder, as at the 

 cross line in fig 21. The knife must enter just below that shoulder, 

 and, by being drawn upwards in a straight line, the base is so com- 

 pletely removed that no shoots can be produced there ; and yet the 

 cut surface on the stem is no larger than the base of the branch. 

 When the saw is used, the surface of the cut should be pared smoothly 

 with the knife, to prevent water lodging on it, and facilitate the heal- 

 ing of the wound.'' 



Pruning at the time of Transplanting. This is performed, not 

 only to remove bruised and broken roots and branches, but to re- 

 store the tree to a proper balance. As trees are ordinarily taken 

 from the ground, the roots are bruised, broken, or mutilated, to a 

 greater or less extent. TJiis obviously destroys the natural balance 

 or proportion that existed between the roots and stem, and in such 

 a condition the tree is unable to grow. The demand upon the roots 

 must, therefore, be lessened, by reducing the stem and branches in 

 length or number, or both ; and the more the roots have suffered, 

 the greater must be the reduction of the stem and branches, to bring 

 them to a corresponding condition. 



Disbudding. When a tree is unfruitful by reason of its rampant 

 growth, and the cultivator desires to bring it into a bearing state, the 

 best and easiest way is by the simple method of disbudding during 

 the months of April, May, and June. This we consider preferable 

 to " pinching in," of which, extended directions are to be found on 

 future pages. At the commencement of the Spring growth, the mana- 



