APPENDIX. 



417 





".onvert a tall and enfeebled tree into a handsome, compact 

 and vigorous one, ani the fruit will be astonishingly im- 

 proved. Fig. 315 ,; 

 exhibits the mode 

 of working, the 

 dotted lines repre- 

 senting those parts 

 of fig. 314 which 

 are to fall before 

 the knife or shears. 

 One great error 

 must be carefully- 

 guarded against, 

 in shortening-in 

 peaches, or in any 

 other pruning given 

 to fruit trees. This 

 is, shearing the 

 top evenly all over, 



Fig. 315. 



mcreasmg, instead of dimin- 



like the sides of a common hedge, which causes a thick 

 impenetrable mass of shoots on the outside, and shutting 

 out the light from the centre 

 ishing the evil. 



Jarring down CurcuUos, p. 318. In a large number of 

 instances, the failure of this method is owing to the feeble- 

 ness of the blows given to the tree. A sharp sudden jar is 

 indispensible. This cannot be given with a muffled pounder. 

 The best way is to strike with a large ham.mer or axe, the 

 short stump of a limb sawed off for this purpose. WJaen 

 trees are large, this is the only course that can be success- 

 fully pursued. 



