344 APPLES. 



all be cut out close, except one, which must be shortened asr 

 before. 



In all the winter prunings, care must be taken to keep the 

 spurs short and close, none of which should at any time ex- 

 ceed three inches : cutting out clean all the blank spurs, 

 which have produced fruit the previous summer, to the next 

 perfect bud below. 



Should canker be perceived in any of the branches, or 

 older Hmbs, if of a formidable nature, they should, at this 

 pruning, be cut out to the sound wood, where, in general, 

 nature will have provided some young shoots of more than 

 usual strength, for the purpose of remedying the defect. 

 When canker arises from some accidental cause, such as 

 wounds, it may be overcome by early attention ; but when 

 it arises from a constitutional disease, amputation is the only 

 remedy for the affected part. Should it break out on an ex- 

 tended scale, an efficacious remedy will be sought in vain — 

 the shortest and the least expensive, will be to root up the 

 tree. 



These appear to me to be all the instructions necessary 

 to be observed in the management of open dwarfs ; they are, 

 at least, such as I have myself pursued for many years ; 

 and I have found ample compensation, not only in abundant 

 crops, but in fine and perfect specim^s of fruit. 



Sect. III. — Espaliers. 



Espalier trees are admirably adapted for small gardens, 

 where every yard of room is of consequence ; and in large 

 gardens they are equally valuable with the open dwarf. 



There are two ways of forming espaliers : the most com- 

 mon is that of training the two sides in the manner of hori- 

 zontal wings : this method always leaves the centre open, 

 from the curvature of the inner branches, which gives the 

 tree an awkward and vacant appearance. The other method 

 is to train a pei*pendicular shoot from the centre, and fur- 

 nish the sides with branches at right angles from Ae main 

 stem : this last appears to me the most simple, and the best ; 

 because it leaves no blank in the tree, and is the most easy 

 to be accomplished. 



In proceeding to form a tree of this description, select a 

 plant of one year old from the graft, with three even shoots 

 if possible : when planted, place five short stakes in the line 



