PACKING, PRUNING, PROTECTION, ETC. 81 



knife on it, opposite the lower part of the bud to be cut to, and then 

 make a firm, quick, smooth draw-cut, sloping upwards, so that the 

 knife will come out on a level with the point of the bud, as in fig. 

 20. In soft-wooded, pithy trees, like the grape vine, for example, 

 half an inch of wood ought to be left above the bud. The 

 cut should also be made, as much as possible, on the lower 

 side of the branch, to prevent rain from lodging in the centre. The 

 position of the bud cut to, is also worthy of consideration in pruning, 

 to produce or modify certain forms. When we wish the new shoot 

 of a lateral branch 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 on the outside. In the annual suppression, or cutting back 

 young trees, to form a stem or side branches, 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 inclina- 

 tion to that side injurious to the symmetry of the tree. 



The 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 either 

 know how, or take the proper care in this matter. They are either 

 cut so that a portion of the base of the 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 ought to be avoided. 



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

 in no case 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 smooth 

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

 healing 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. This 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 



