490 PRACTICE OF GARDENING. PART III. 



prehension of its dropping is over. Nothing tends more to keep fruit-trees in good health 

 than regularly to thin their over-abundant crops, and that always before they begin to 

 swell off for ripening ; for if this be delayed till they are nearly full grown, the mischief 

 is, in a great measure, already done, both to the tree and to the fruit left. (Nicol.) 



SECT. V. Pruning and Training. 



2575. Pruning and training being frequently practised together, and in aid of each 

 other, may be advantageously treated of under the same head. 



2574. Pruning newly planted trees. Trees planted one year from the graft, or two from 

 budding, must be pruned as though still in the nursery, in order to furnish them with a 

 head. At the end of March, or the beginning of April, as the wood-buds begin to shoot, 

 one of these courses must be taken ; either shorten the shoots of the preceding summer ; 

 or head down the tree to two, three, or four eyes, taking all those shoots off. The latter 

 course is most commonly expedient on the peach-tree, or nectarine, or apricot. If the 

 first shoots happen to be unexceptionably placed for beginning the figure, instead of head- 

 ing down the stem, cut these into two or three eyes. On wall-trees and espaliers, rub off 

 the fore and back wood-buds. 



2575. Seasons for pruning newly planted trees. On all trees during the tender stage of 

 infancy, spring is the fittest time of pruning, even for wood, and for proceeding in the 

 formation of a head, as successive sets of new branches are yearly obtained by shortening 

 the last. Something may also be done in summer to promote this object. If between 

 the end of May and the end of June, a pair of shoots have not started as desired, one on 

 each side from a stem headed down, or from the mother branches shortened ; and in lieu 

 of such, one solitary shoot has arisen, or two, both on one side, or not equally proper to be 

 retained, the desired end may yet be attained, and a season saved. Pinch down the soli- 

 tary shoot two or three eyes : this will force out new shoots in the course of summer. In 

 the case of two shoots, one of which is evidently unfit for beginning the head, take off 

 the one rejected without delay, and pinch down the other to two or three eyes. Of two 

 shoots on the same side equal in regard to strength and direction, to preserve the lower 

 on wall-trees and dwarfs is a rule to which an exception can scarcely be imagined. The 

 summer pruning of heads progressively forming, will afterwards fall in with that of esta- 

 blished trees. 



2576. Summer pruning of trees in bearing. The buds and shoots to be preserved claim 

 the first attention ; for if the precious germs of future fruit or wood are carelessly de- 

 stroyed, the work of reparation is difficult and tedious : whereas the removal of spray not 

 of service as branches or bearers, though necessary to prevent confusion, and to strengthen 

 the plant, is to be conducted in subservience to the vital object of fertility. For the pre- 

 sent retain all the fruit-buds and fruit-shoots, and as many well placed wood-shoots as 

 will afford a selection for winter pruning : but rub off ill placed and superfluous wood- 

 buds, as they can be certainly discriminated, or after waiting till appearances are no longer 

 doubtful, pinch off the shoots from such wood-buds before they are above three inches 

 long. In some kinds, to avoid the destruction of wood-buds, or the germs of fruit-spurs, 

 the disbudding ought to be postponed until the wood-shoots can be distinguished from 

 spurs, and pinched off without injuring the fruit-buds. The species which alternately 

 produce spurs on the one-year-old shoots, are, the apple, pear, apricot, cherry, and plum. 

 The peach and nectarine rarely emit spurs. While you avoid displacing infant spurs on 

 plants which bear on such, be as careful to discourage the wood-buds and shoots on old 

 spurs, for shoots from these are cumbersome and unprofitable. If any spray that wants 

 displacing has got woody, use the knife, lest the bark of the mother branch be torn. 



2577. The mode of bearing, and the duration of the bearers, is the first thing to be adverted to for regu- 

 lating the proportion of new wood to be retained. Thus, in the kinds which bear on spurs, a less quantity 

 of advancing wood is necessary for future supply, according to the time that a bearing branch continues 

 fruitful ; but as the fruit-shoots on some of these kinds are two, three, four, and even five years in coming 

 into bearing, the difficulty of exercising a proper foresight is increased. On the sorts which bear on the 

 shoots of last year, although a great reserve, and constant annual succession are wanted, it is more easy to 

 suit the provision to the expected vacancy. In both classes, the leader to a stem yet under training as a 

 wall-tree is to be carefully preserved : also a surplus number or buds to the right and left must be suffered 

 to sprout, till it can be known whether shoots will spring at the desired places ; and afterwards a selection 

 from these for forming the tree : further, the leading shoot to each side branch should be always left, if 

 the limits admit. Well placed shoots, between the origin and the extremity of a lateral, are to be retained 

 in pairs, until a good leader has sprung, and is sufficiently established to be laid in ; when they are to be 

 cut away close, unless a vacancy requires their permanent cultivation. As the new laterals fit to be pre- 

 served extend, lay them close to the wall in a straight easy direction, at a convenient average distance ; 

 nailing them farther onward as the extremities want support. 



2578. Three revisions are included in, a summer's pruning ; one beginning at the end of 

 April, another in July, and the third in September : all which have a preparatory re- 

 spect to the winter pruning. Stone-fruit trees, if much wounded in summer, are apt to 

 gum ; so that if superfluous shoots have not been removed before they get woody, it is 

 best to defer the retrenchment of these to the winter pruning. A weak tree is strength- 

 ened by reducing its spray ; let it, however, be low and compact, rather than naked. To 



