MAY.] DISBUDDING. 237 



on mulching and watering those new planted ; and 

 on watering and scourging all of them with the gar- 

 den-engine, I have been fully explicit last month. 

 I need only here add, therefore, that these several 

 duties must be followed up, according to necessity, 

 if it be wished to have the trees flourish, and to have 

 their fruits produced in perfection. 



Of disbudding, or Jinger-pruning of Wall-Trees. 



Disbudding of several kinds of wall and espalier 

 trees, is an operation now easily performed, and 

 which saves a deal of trouble in pruning afterwards. 

 What is here meant by disbudding, is, rubbing off, 

 with the thumb, the buds, or newly sprung shoots, 

 when an "inch or two in length, instead of allowing 

 them to grow many inches and then being obliged 

 to prune them off with the knife. The disposition 

 of the shoots are thus better regulated, and the 

 strength of the tree thrown into those necessary to 

 be retained only, instead of being wasted in nourish- 

 ing a profusion of useless shoots, afterwards to be 

 destroyed. 



It must be carefully observed, how r ever, in per- 

 forming this operation, that wood-buds only are to be 

 displaced ; and this care is most necessary in dis- 

 budding the kinds that produce fruit-spurs on the 

 one year old shoots, as well as wood-buds. These 

 are apples, apricots, cherries, pears, and plums, 

 which should not be disbudded till the infant shoots 

 have sprung two or three joints ; as they will then 

 be easily distinguished from the spurs, that only 



