268 How to Prune the Apple. 



After the principal branches have been started, it would be 

 well to regulate the growth of the top for a few years longer, 

 by checking, about midsummer, any shoots that are over- 

 luxuriant, or that are taking a wrong direction. Afterwards, 

 little pruning will be required. The branches should be 

 kept thin enough to admit sufficient sun and air ; and after 

 bearing heavy crops, portions of the extremities should be a 

 little shortened. 



Open dwarfs are next to be considered. Presuming a 

 tree, which has made its first season's growth from the graft 

 or bud, has been planted in autumn or early part of winter, 

 let it then be cut back just above that bud which is ascer- 

 tained to be eight inches above the surface of the ground. 

 But if the plant is weak, or, from circumstances absolutely 

 unavoidable, the planting has been delayed till spring, the 

 cutting back to the height above-mentioned must be deferred 

 till the following autumn. In both these cases, however, a 

 little of the top of the shoot ought to be taken off" when 

 planted ; and then let the plant grow as roughly as possible 

 throughout the season. The more shoots and leaves it makes 

 the better, above the height of nine inches ; immediately 

 below this height it would be desirable that the buds should 

 not break till the second season after planting, by which 

 time the tree will have made roots, and established itself 

 sufficiently to push shoots vigorous enough to form the 

 basis of the principal branches ; and to obtain such at proper 

 height is the object of cutting back the tree ; it may be re- 

 peated, to the bud eight inches from the ground, before 

 Avinter, in all cases, immediately when planted, if strong ; 

 but not till next autumn if the plant is weak. 



Whatever shoots may be made by the plant in the first sea- 

 son after it has been cut down as above directed, let especial 

 attention be directed to the three uppermost. Keep all others 

 in check daring the summer, and cut them off closely in 

 autumn. The uppermost shoot will be eight inches from 

 the ground; and as an inch is about the average distance 

 between the buds on the shoots of the apple tree, the next 

 will originate at seven inches, and the lowermost of the 



