270 HoiD to Prune the Apple. 



their bases, at the autumn or winter pruning, will generally 

 push at least three shoots each in the following season ; but 

 only two from each are necessary to be encouraged for lead- 

 ing branches, six of which will thus be originated, within 

 six inches of the stem. These leading branches, if supposed 

 to be extended horizontally, ought to represent the radii of a 

 hexagon, the distance between any two adjoining branches 

 being equal to their length from the centre or stem, up to 

 the point where the said distance from one to the other is 

 measured ; but when in reality they are not horizontal, but 

 occupy a position half way between that and perpendic- 

 ular, or having an inclination of 45*^, the distance of one 

 branch from another at, say three feet from the stem, will 

 only be eighteen inches ; at four feet the distance from 

 branch to branch will be two feet ; at five, two and a half 

 feet : at six, three feet ; and so on. If these relative distances 

 are maintained, a uniform divergence of the six principal 

 branches must result. When these are found to be a foot 

 apart, a supplementary branch on each should be encouraged 

 to fill up the increasing intervals. The branches may be 

 kept in their proper positions by means of hoops ; or rods 

 may be employed if hoops are considered too expensive. 

 Neither the hoops nor the rods will require to be strong if 

 timeously applied ; that is to say, whilst the shoots are not 

 more than one year old. And it may be observed, that if 

 a shoot or branch be kept in any position for only a few 

 weeks in the growing season, that position will afterwards 

 be retained, and the materials may be then employed where 

 elsewhere required. 



Having endeavored to give a general idea of what may be 

 termed the frame-work of the tree, it will be necessary to 

 advert to the management of one of the six branches from 

 the time they were originated by cutting back the three 

 primary ones. The leading shoots will require to be short- 

 ened to about a foot every winter pruning, observing to cut 

 to a bud pointing outwards, and to the direction which the 

 branch should take. Generally, if the leader be cut to a bud 

 pointing outwards and to the left one season, it will require 



