REASONS FOR PRUNING. 361 



and established. This, of course, vvouhi be more valuable than 

 one heavy crop once in two years. 



The utility of trimming fruit-trees and vines when young, 

 depends wholly on the principle now considered. 



In pruning some trees and vines, the plant is exposed to 

 what is called bleeding ; this, if not prevented by covering 

 the wounded part, will injure and perhaps destroy the plant. 

 One mode to avoid this, is not to wound such trees when their 

 sap is flowing freely. Another is, to dissolve some gum shel- 

 lac in alcohol, and with a brush cover the wood and prevent 

 the issuing of the sap. 



In performing the operations of pruning, reference should 

 be had to the character of the tree. Some trees bear fruit on the 

 branch w4iich grows the same year, as the walnut. A second 

 class, as the filbert, grows on the wood of the previous year ; 

 while a third class, as pears and apples, are produced from 

 branches which are several years old. Hence different parts 

 should be removed from each of the different families. 



The season for pruning is either in mid-winter or mid-sum- 

 mer. The object of the former method is to thin and ar- 

 range the branches; that of the latter, to remove superfluous 

 branches or aid in ripening the fruit, and in forming the fruit 

 of the succeeding year. It may be done at other seasons, as 

 early in the autumn, or when the tree is in blossom in the 

 spring. It should never be done when the sap first begins to 

 flow in the spring, because the tree wants all its leaves to 

 commence the process of nutrition with vigor. 



It has been a question among gardeners, whether trees 

 which are transplanted should be pruned ? This question is 

 easily settled theoretically. We know that the leaves are 

 wanted to enable the plant to put forth its roots ; for the 

 nutritious matters must go through a change in the leaves, 

 before they descend to the roots. Now if the leaves are di- 

 minished by pruning, the power of the transplanted plant to 

 take root in the soil, is much diminished. The roots should 



