360 



HORTICULTURE. 



1. The effect of removing a branch, is to turn the sap into 

 the neighboring organs, or into some other part ; hence it is 

 necessary to cut a useless branch fully off, so as to destroy the 

 buds near the base. If this is not done, these buds will put 

 forth several branches, instead of the one which is taken 

 away. When the nourishment is thus driven into the neigh- 

 boring organs, they sometimes throw out branches, which will 

 bear abundant fruit the next year; this is the fact with the 

 filbert. The peach, also, may thus be rendered both fruitful 

 and much longer-lived, even in climates unfavorable to its 

 growth. Apples, pears and plums are rendered vigorous and 

 strong by pruning. This effect is sometimes secured by sim- 

 ply squeezing the ends of the young limbs, just so as to pre- 

 vent their elongation, and to direct the matter to other parts, 

 or to the maturing of the seed. If the shoots are allowed 

 to increase, the buds will not form for the next crop. During 

 the ripening of the fruit, especially, care should be taken that 

 the buds and sprouts in the vicinity are removed, or twisted 

 to direct the nourishment to the fruit. 



2. The effect produced upon one part by abstracting an- 

 other, is seen further in the quantity and quality of the fruit. 

 If all the fruit of a plant is removed from it one year, it will 

 be more abundant and of a better quality the next year. 

 Hence we see in nature, that orchards so exhaust themselves 

 in their season of bearing, that they are obliged to rest the 

 next year to recover energy for a succeeding crop. Of two 

 branches, if one is cut off, the other will grow with more vigor. 

 This doctrine lies at the foundation of all the processes of 

 pruning, and enables the gardener to equalize the crops and 

 the rate of growth of all parts of the tree. If, for example, 

 when orchards are disposed to bear only every other year, a 

 part of the fruit were abstracted in the bearing season, some 

 would be produced in the unfruitful season ; and, after a little 

 time, a habit of producing a moderate crop might be induced 



