24 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



all surplus wood removed, aud such limbs as throw the head 

 out of balance should be shortened in or cut away entirely. 



Surplus wood means all sprouts that spring up at the base 

 of the tree, or on the trunk ; all water-sprouts that infest the 

 branches ; all ingrowing or crossing limbs, and those that 

 become feeble from want of light and air, and all dead wood. 

 Limbs that are cracked or broken by storms, or other causes, 

 should also be cut off. Now, this is more in the enumeration 

 than in the reality. Most of the advocates of non-pruning 

 will go thus far, and admit that so much is right and proper ; 

 but their principles lead them to the neglect of practice, — 

 resulting in forked trees, choked with water-sprouts at the 

 base and among the branches, with decaying wood, keeping 

 open sores to impede the vigor and destroy the vitality of the 

 trees, and to interfere with the gathering of the fruit. An 

 example of a vigorous, open grower is taken to show how 

 well a tree will do without pruning; and, indeed, it makes a 

 pretty good showing by the side of some other variety, even 

 with the best of training, for its short wood, backward growth, 

 and choked branches, can hardly be shaped so as to compete 

 with the natural growth of the other. With regular annual 

 pruning, the sap-sprouts will give little trouble. It is when, 

 after years of neglect, that trees receive a "good, thorough 

 pruning," that these are produced. Unless they are cut off 

 promptly, they take the sap from the bearing branches, and 

 they are impoverished. Sometimes the head of an old tree 

 may be renewed by encouraging a few of these vigorous 

 shoots, and cutting off the long arms, thus forming a new 

 head. As soon as they get proper maturity, they will bear 

 fruit, the same as grafts would do, and we have as it were a 

 young tree on an old trunk. 



June is admitted to be the best month, but few farmers will 

 prune in June. We take the mild days in winter for pruning. 

 We take mild days, because pruning is a nice operation, and, 

 to do it well, it must be done carefully. Bad pruning may 

 maybe worse than no pruning. Cut the limbs off closely and 

 smooth, yet not too close. There is often a swelling at 

 the base of a limb of twice the diameter of the limb. We 

 would not cut into the swelling, as the wound would be much 

 larger. If it is very cold, the wounds will be rough, and the 



