214 



THE FRUIT GARDEN. 



Pruning Pears, Plums, Cherries, Apples, 4 - c. 



As early in tills month as possible finish pruning your cherries 

 and plums, also your apple and pear trees before the end thereof, 

 whether as espaliers, standards, or wall trees. Peaches, nectarines, 

 apricots, almonds, quinces, &c. should also be pruned early in the 

 month, if not done before. For the particular method of pruning 

 espalier and wall trees, see the Fruit Garden for January and 

 February, pages 24 and 135; and for that of the standards, the 

 Orchard, pages, 46, 142, &c. This should be particularly attended 

 to, and the pruning of all kinds of fruit trees finished before their 

 buds begin to push. 



Pruning and training young Apricot, Nectarine, and Peach 

 Trees, fyc. for Espaliers and Walls. 



Now is the only proper time to head down young wall or espalier 

 trees, &c. preparatory to their first training; such as apricot, peach, 

 and nectarine trees planted against espaliers or walls any time 

 since last October with their first shoots, from budding at full 

 length, which, when a year old, should always be headed down 

 low, to force out lower branches to furnish the wall or espalier 

 properly, quite from the bottom. 



This should be done just as the trees begin to swell their buds; 

 therefore watch the opportunity, and let them be headed accordingly 

 at the proper time. 



The heads should be cut down to about five, six, or seven eyes 

 or buds from the bottom; and if there are two shoots from the same 

 stock let them both be cut down as above. 



By this practice the trees will produce some strong shoots near 

 the ground, whereby they will be furnished equally with branches 

 from the bottom to the top of the wall or espalier. But if the trees 

 were not to be headed-down as above, they would run up with a 

 stein like a standard-tree, and not furnish any branches below, 

 within two or three feet of the bottom; whereby the use of such 

 part of the espalier or wall would be lost. 



Such young apricot, peach, and nectarine trees as were headed- 

 down a year ago, and having each produced three, four, or more 

 shoots the last summer, should now have these shortened to such 

 length as may encourage eacli shoot to produce two or three new 

 ones the same season. 



The method is this: let each shoot be shortened generally in 

 some degree of proportion to its strength; in some pruning oft" about 

 one-half or third of their original length: and in others a little more 

 or less, according to circumstances of growth and situation ot the 



