164 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



Those remote from the wall and buildings remained station- 

 ary for several years, while those under their influence, 

 after two or three years began to show a vigorous growth. 

 The grass was removed annually and the trees received no 

 cultivation, save perhaps a bushel or two of chip manure 

 occasionally thrown around them. Twenty years after they 

 were planted, the trees next to the wall and buildings were 

 thrifty and had attained a large size, while many of the oth- 

 ers had died, a few had grown to one-fourth the size of the 

 outer ones and others were still smaller, mossy and showing 

 signs of a premature old age. Not one-third of the trees 

 gave any return whatever. The wall and buildings kept 

 the soil next them light and moist, while that in the more 

 open field spent all its energy upon the grass. An orchard 

 to be productive and profitable, must be cultivated, and with- 

 out this, it is useless to plant it. 



PRUNING. This operation should commence at the plant- 

 ing of the tree, the top of which should always a be in propor- 

 tion to the size and number of the roots. If the top be high 

 and spindling, shorten it so as to throw the lateral shoots into 

 a graceful and branching form. The limbs may commence 

 about six feet from the ground. The pruning should be done 

 annually as the labor is then trifling, and the expenditure of 

 vital force in maturing wood which is afterwards to be cut 

 off is thus saved, and the branches to be removed being small 

 the wounds readily heal. In this case no covering is requir- 

 ed for the wound as one season's growth will heal it. The 

 top should be sufficiently open to admit the sun and air. 

 The best time for trimming is when the tree is in bloom, and 

 the sap in full flow. The proper instrument is a fine saw or 

 sharp knife, and the limb should be cut off close to the re- 

 maining branch. The sap at this time is active, and is read- 

 ily converted into new bark and wood, which speedly forms 

 over the cut. But this is a busy season with the farmer, and 

 if hs cannot then prune his trees he may do it when more 

 convenient, taking care to secure the wounds by an efficient 

 covering of salve. Old trees or such as are growing vigor- 

 ously and have been long neglected, often require severe 

 trimming, which should always be done in May or June, and 

 when the wounds are large they should be covered with a 

 coat of thick Spanish brown paint or grafting wax. If they 

 are left exposed and the growth of the tree be slow, decay will 

 often take place before they are healed. Too much care 

 cannot be used in these operations. In large trees, a ladder 



