118 APPLES. 



straight, and their heads should consist of not less than 

 three nor more than four branches, equal in strength, 

 and regularly placed : these will be sufficient to form 

 the principal limbs, for the support of the largest heads 

 that can be required. 



The trees should be staked as soon as planted, in 

 order to keep them upright, and to secure them against 

 violent winds. They should not be headed down the 

 first year, nor will they require to be headed down after- 

 wards, in such trees whose growth is upright ; but such 

 as are of a pendent growth should remain till they are 

 well established in the ground ; and may then be headed 

 down, leaving the branches nine or twelve inches long, 

 when the young shoots will assume a more upright di- 

 rection. At the end of the year these should be thinned 

 out, selecting those which are the best placed and most 

 regular in their growth for forming the future head. 

 After this, nothing more will be necessary than to look 

 them over from time to time, cutting out carefully any 

 superabundant branches which may appear, particularly 

 those which have a tendency to injure the proper figure 

 of the head, or are likely to become stronger than the 

 rest : these latter, if suffered to remain, will injure any 

 description of tree, whether it be a standard, an espalier, 

 or whether it be trained against a wall. 



Open Dwarfs. 



v 



Open dwarfs are such as are generally planted on the 

 borders, or in the quarters of the garden, and consist of 

 such as are intended to furnish fruit for the dessert only : 

 those for the kitchen more properly belong to the 

 orchard department. Besides, open dwarfs should con- 

 sist of those kinds whose wood is short^ slender, and 

 easily kept within a moderate compass j this latter object 



