MANAGEMENT OP THE CENTKE. 25 



gardening, that very large sums are yearly spent 

 even by persons of limited incomes, on their 

 fruits and flowers. But the results are really 

 disproportionate. How seldom is a well-kept 

 garden to be seen. How seldom does the pro- 

 prietor know the reason of his numerous failures. 



This little work is offered therefore in the 

 simple hope of helping some such person who, 

 having less leisure, cannot do as I have done, 

 follow up my own trees, year after year, note- 

 book in hand. My experience on this account 

 cannot be valueless to him, and I have therefore 

 freely given it. 



One grand defect which is observable in the 

 general treatment of fruit trees is, that very little 

 difference is made in the care bestowed on the 

 various kinds. 



The dormant buds, which are the hopes of 

 ensuing seasons, are treated on similar principles, 

 the consequence of which is, that the centre of 

 the tree is denuded of fruit, and an appearance of 

 age is, by this means, induced, long before the 

 tree has reached the period of decadence. As 

 the sap ascends far more powerfully in the main 

 channels than in the more distant and feebler, 

 portions, one would suppose that this would be a 

 guiding principle in the treatment of the whole 

 tree. But, instead of this, what do we generally 

 see ? In a few years, by unskilful pruning, the 

 whole of the centre of the wall-trees and the 



