are removed, the supply of moisture being insufficient, all make a 

 very feeble growth or fail to develop at all, especially if a drought 

 comes on early in the summer. To prevent this injury and ensure a 

 vigorous starting of a few buds, the top should be cut back in pro- 

 portion to the amount of injury to the roots, which will generally be 

 from ^ to f of the entire top. In this pruning all shoots should be 

 cut entirely away that are not needed for the formation of a peifect 

 head, and the others cut back ^ or | of their length. 



If the head is not formed high enough upon the trunk it may often 

 be carried higher bj' cutting off all lateral shoots, leaving the most 

 central one for a leader upon which will be formed the new head sev- 

 eral inches higher than the first. This may be still further carried 

 up by pinching the ends of the lowest laterals to force the growth into 

 the higher ones. Thus in a single season the head may be carried 

 from one to two feet higher than it was when received from the 

 nursery. All injured roots should have the ends cut smooth with a 

 sharp knife, and with small fruits like the grape, currant and straw- 

 berry it is often desirable to cut back some of the longer oaes. 



SOIL AND ITS PREPARATION. 



Unless suitable soil is selected very poor results will often be 

 obtained. The Apple thrives upon a greater variety of soils than any 

 other fruit, but that best suited to its growth is a rich, moist, well 

 drained loam. The Pear, Plum and Quince require a heavier soil but 

 it should be free from standing water. The Cherry delights in a 

 light sandy loam. The Peach can only be successfully grown in New 

 England upon high well drained land. Upon the tops of our high 

 hills the trees are hardier, live longer and bear more fruit, tilthough, 

 even here, they are not safe from injury, and annual crops cannot be 

 expected until some method of protection has been discovered that 

 can be easily and cheaply applied. Grape vines give the best fruit 

 in quality of fruit when planted upon high gravelly soil, but to insure 

 a vigorous growth of vine to enable a large crop of fruit to mature, 

 some nitrogenous manure must be used, but onl}' early in the season, 

 as a late application would induce a late growth of wood that is very 

 liable to injury by severe cold. 



The Raspberry and Blackberry mature their wood much better 

 upon light land than upon heavy moist soil, but like the grape require 

 the addition of nitfogenous manure to secure growth of canes suffic- 

 ient to mature a large crop of fruit. Spreading mulch upon the sur- 

 face or constant cultivation will generally prevent the escape of 



