PRTJ 



PRU 



wood of a year old ; that is, the shoots 

 produced this year hear the year follow- 

 ing ; so that in all these trees, a gene- 

 ral supply of the hest shoots of each 

 year must be everywhere preserved at 

 regular distances, from the very bottom 

 to the extremity of the tree on every 

 side ; but in winter- pruning, or general 

 shortening, less or more, according to 

 the strength of the different shoots, is 

 necessary, in order to promote their 

 throwing out, more effectually, a supply 

 of young wood the ensuing summer, in 

 proper place for training in for the suc- 

 ceeding year's bearing. 



Vines produce their fruit always 

 upon the young wood-shoots of the 

 same year, arising from the eyes of the 

 last year's wood only ; and must, there- 

 fore, have a general supply of the best 

 regular shoots of each year trained 

 in, which, in winter pruning, must be 

 shortened to a few eyes, in order to 

 force out shoots from their lower parts, 

 only properly situated to lay in for bear- 

 ing the following year. 



Figs bear also only upon the young | 

 wood of a year old, and a general sup- 

 ply of it is, therefore, necessary every 

 year ; but these shoots must at no time 

 be shortened, unless the ends are dead, 

 because they always bear principally 

 towards the extreme part of the shoots, 

 which, if shortened, would take the 

 bearing or fruitful parts away; besides, 

 they naturally throw out a sufficient 

 supply of shoots every year for future 

 bearing, without the precaution of 

 shortening. 



Apple, pear, plum, and cherry trees 

 bear principally on spin's, arising in the 

 wood of from two or three, to ten or 

 twenty years old, the same branches 

 and spurs continuing to bear a great 

 number of years ; so that, having once 

 procured a proper set of branches to 

 form a spreading head, no farther sup- 

 ply of wood is wanted than some occa- 

 sional shoots now and then to supply 

 the place of any worn out or dead 

 branch. The above-mentioned spurs 

 or fruit-buds are short robust shoots of 

 from about half-an-inch to one or two 

 inches long, arising naturally, first to- 

 wards the extreme parts of the branches 

 of two or three years old, and as the 



bran oil increases in length, the num- 

 ber of fruit-buds increase accordingly. 



In pruning, always cut quite close, 

 both in the summer and winter-prun- 

 ing : In the summer-pinning, if at- 

 tended to early, while the shoots are 

 quite young and tender, they may be 

 readily rubbed off quite close with the 

 thumb ; but when the shoots become 

 older and woody, as they will not readily 

 break, it must be done with a knife, 

 cutting them as close as possible ; and 

 all winter-pruning must always be per- 

 formed with a knife. 



Summer-pruning is a most necessary 

 operation. Young shoots require thin- 

 ning to preserve the beauty of the trees, 

 and encourage the fruit; and the sooner 

 it is performed the better. It is, there- 

 fore, advisable to begin this work in 

 May, or early in June, removing all 

 superfluous growths, and ill-placed 

 shoots, which may be done with con- 

 siderably more expedition and exact- 

 ness than when the trees have shot 

 a considerable length. Where, how- 

 ever, a tree is inclined to luxuriancy, 

 it is proper to retain as many of 

 the regular shoots as can be commo- 

 diously trained in with any regularity, 

 in order to divide and exhaust the 

 too abundant sap. It will be neces- 

 sary to review the trees occasionally, 

 in order to reform such branches or 

 shoots as may have started from their 

 places, or taken a wrong direction ; and 

 according as any fresh irregular shoots 

 produced after the general dressing 

 may be displaced ; or as the already 

 trained ones advance in length, or 

 project from the wall or espalier, they 

 should be trained in close. 



In the winter-pruning, a general re- 

 gulation must be observed, both of the 

 mother branches, and the supply of 

 young wood laid in the preceding sum- 

 mer ; and the proper time for this work 

 is any time in open weather, from the 

 fall of the leaf in November, until 

 March ; but the sooner the better. In 

 performing this work, it is proper to 

 un-nail or loosen a chief part of the 

 branches, particularly of peaches, nec- 

 tarines, apricots, vines, and other trees 

 requiring an annual supply of young 

 wood. 



