The Cultivation of the Pear. 115 



In the discussions now before the members, he presumed 

 we were assuming that we were talking to practical men, or, 

 at least, to gentlemen who had some information upon the 

 subject ; and that we also assumed that the system he or any 

 one else advocated, was tliat which should be pursued with a 

 healthy, properly grown tree. This being understood, he 

 was entirely opposed to heading in newly transplanted trees. 

 He had not done so for many years, and, after careful obser- 

 vation, he had become convinced that trees removed and not 

 headed in the same year, had done far better than those that 

 were. 



His practice was to transplant trees in the fall, if possible ; 

 but if not then, in spring, rather than lose a year. Such trees 

 were not shortened in, unless merely some straggling branch, 

 to shape the tree a little. The following year, however, 

 they were cut in rather short. This gave the young shoots 

 a vigorous start, and the trees formed fine heads, much better 

 than those pruned in the first year. 



If, however, trees had been imported, or out of the ground 

 many weeks, these, of course, he would head in to keep up 

 the equilibrium between the roots and branches ; the former 

 evidently being more or less injured by drought, exposure, 

 decay, or other causes, not to mention the loss of many of 

 them by removal, which would materially change their nat- 

 ural condition. He therefore, as a general ride, always ad- 

 vised shortening in one third or one half of the previous 

 year's wood, for the reason, as a general thing, trees were 

 badly cut or mangled in removal and transportation. He con- 

 demned the plan of heading in forest trees to bare poles, as 

 generally practised. 



Mr. Cabot said he agreed with Mr. Hovey, that young 

 trees taken from the nursery did not perhaps require cutting 

 in so severely as older ones. In the removal of large trees, 

 he thought it was necessary to shorten in, to keep up the 

 equilibrium between the branches and the roots. He took 

 up two very large pear trees last year, and did not shorten 

 them in ; but he found they did poorly, — one died, the other 

 did pretty well. His experience was that large trees required 

 considerable heading in. 



