MANAGEMENT OF APPLES IN NURSERY. 19 



necessary to be careful how those are pruned 

 which are left, in order to keep their heads 

 young, free, and flourishing ; if the stem of the 

 tree should not be higher than you may 

 wish it, the best way will be to trim the 

 lower shoots clean off, leaving only the two top 

 ones, and cut those two down to about three 

 or four buds each ; or if you wish the tree lower 

 you must cut it down to the two bottom 

 shoots, and be careful when you are pruning at 

 this season, to cut as close as you can to a bud, 

 for what wood you leave above the bud be- 

 comes a dead substance, and if it does no other 

 injury it greatly disfigures the tree, besides 

 making it awkward to remove after the tree 

 has formed a head. 



The above instructions are from the time 

 of planting the stocks. I have allowed 

 them to remain six years in the quarters before 

 the ground is cleared, which I think quite long 

 enough, therefore shall not give any further in- 

 structions for pruning while they remain in the 

 nursery, for they would not pay for standing, 

 neither would I recommend old trees for plant- 

 ing, for although old trees may grow and per- 

 haps bear almost immediately, the fruit would 

 not be near so fine as those produced from 



