258 PRUNING. 



it is the usual practice to plant the suckers in nursery beds, I 

 would advise every one to plant them where they are to remain, 

 whether they are intended for a garden or a larger plantatiou ; 

 and after being suffered to grow without restraint for three or four 

 years, to cut them down within a few inches of the ground. 

 From the remaining part, if the trees are well rooted in the soil, 

 five or six strong .shoots will bo produced. Whichever method is 

 practised, the subsequent treatment of the trees will be exactly 

 the same. 



u ln the second year after cutting down, these shoots are 

 shortened ; generally one-third is taken off. If very weak, I 

 would advise that the trees be quite cut down a second time, as in 

 the previous spring ; but it would be much better not to cut them 

 down till the trees give evident tokens of their being able to pro- 

 duce shoots of sufficient strength. When they are thus shortened, 

 that they may appear regular, let a small hoop be placed within 

 the branches, to which the shoots are to be fastened at equal dis- 

 tances. By this practice two considerable advantages will be 

 gained the trees will grow more regular, and the middle will be 

 kept hollow, so as to admit the influence of the sun and air. 



" In the third year a shoot will spring from each bud ; these 

 must be suffered to grow till the following autumn, or fourth year, 

 when they are to be cut off nearly close to the original stem, and 

 the leading shoot of the last year shortened two-thirds. 



" In the fifth year several small shoots will arise from the bases 

 of the side branches which were cut off the preceding year ; these 

 are produced from small buds, and would not have been emitted 

 had not the branch on which they are situated been shortened, 

 the whole nourishment being carried to the upper part of the 

 branch. It is from these shoots that fruit is to be expected. 

 These productive shoots will in a few years become very numerous, 

 and many of them must be taken off, particularly the strongest, 

 in order to encourage the production of the smaller ones ; for 

 those of the former year become so exhausted that they generally 

 decay ; but whether decayed or not, they are always cut out by 

 the pruner, and a fresh supply must therefore be provided to pro- 

 duce the fruit in the succeeding year. The leading shoot is every 



