Holo to Prune the Apple. 265 



PRUNING. THE APPLE TREE. 



The apple tree, left to its natural growth, forms generally 

 a low stem, branching out into a top, which ultimately be- 

 comes hemispherical, towards the outside of which, fruit- 

 spurs, leaves, and fruit, are most abundant ; to support these, 

 the branches interiorly may be considered as a sort of frame- 

 work, for they are often destitute of spurs or foliage. In 

 pruning and training it is necessary to bear this natural ten- 

 dency of growth constantly in mind ; for although that ten- 

 dency may be subdued or diverted to suit the purposes of 

 cultivation, yet it cannot be annihilated whilst the trees are 

 young, and as vigorous as they ought to be. A tree may be 

 prevented from growing up with a single stem by cutting 

 back ; then several shoots usually result, and these become 

 so many smaller stems, if not interfered with. Like the 

 individual stem they are not disposed to bear fruit ; their 

 tendency is to be merely pillars or supporters of a system of 

 elevated ramifications, at the extremities of which fructifica- 

 tion naturally takes place. Being aware of this, the opera- 

 tions of pruning and training, necessary to be performed when^ 

 the tree is to be grown in any particular form dilferent from 

 its natural habit, will be better understood. The modes in 

 which the apple tree is grown are numerous. The principal 

 are, as standards, open dwarfs, pyramids, trained against 

 espaliers, and against walls. 



A standard, properly managed, should have a clean, strait, 

 and substantial stem. By substantiality of stem is here 

 meant a structure capable of supporting itself without bend- 

 ing, and hence not requiring the aid of stakes. In general, 

 this property is too little thought of; or, at its expense, the 

 other properties are endeavored to be obtained. The follow- 

 ing will illustrate this. Supposing it were required to grow 

 an apple tree with a stem, (if such it might be called,) 

 fifteen feet in length, yet nowhere more than an inch in 

 diameter ; the way to effect this would be to train a maiden 

 plant to a rod, taking care to allow no side-shoots to grow, 

 nor any leaves, excepting a very few at top. By adopting 

 a similar proceeding year after year, the stem will reach the 



VOL. XVI. NO. VI. 34 



