PRUNING AND TRAINING. 231 



the same advantage as deciduous trees. Indeed, many of 

 the broad-leaved evergreens, taken from the woods, can- 

 not be transplanted with any success, unless nearly all 

 the top is removed. Nursery-raised trees are taken up 

 and reset so often that they can be replanted safely with- 

 out cutting in so severely. 



M. Du Breuil, from whose work we have already drawn, 

 bases the whole theory of pruning fruit trees upon the 

 following six general principles, which, in giving, we con- 

 dense: 



I. — The vigor of a tree subjected to pruning depends in a 

 great measure on the equal distribution of sap in all its 

 branches. That this equal distribution may take place — 



1. Prune the branches of the most vigorous parts very short, 

 and those of the weak parts long. The feeble parts being- 

 pruned long, present a great number of buds and a large 

 surface of leaves, which attract the sap, and produce 

 vigorous growth; while the vigorous parts being pruned 

 short and the surface of leaves diminished, growth in 

 those parts is also diminished. 



2. Leave a large quantity of fruit on the strong part and 

 remove the whole or the greater part from the feeble. The sap 

 which arrives in the strong part will be appropriated by 

 the fruit, and the wood there will make little growth, 

 while the feeble parts being deprived of fruit, the sap 

 will be appropriated by the growing parts and they will 

 increase in size and strength. 



3. Bend the strong parts and keep the weak erect. The 

 more erect the branches are, the greater will be the flow 

 of sap and consequent growth; hence, the balance may 

 be restored by bending down those disposed to make too 

 much growth. 



4. Remove from the vigorous parts the superfluous shoots 

 as early in the season as possible, and from the feeble parts as 

 late as possible. The fewer the young shoots are in num- 



