MULBERRIES. 



year to year, giving advantage to the leading shoots, 

 cutting out close all redundant ones, and those likely to 

 injure one another. As this sort of fruit is always the 

 largest and best flavoured, where the trees are kept thin 

 of wood, their neglect will consequently diminish its 

 value, without enlarging its quantity. 



In training of Mulberries against the wall, the me- 

 thod recommended for espalier apples appears to me the 

 most simple, the most easy, and the best. Having ob- 

 tained three good shoots from the plant intended to be 

 trained, the two side ones must be nailed horizontally at 

 their full length, and the centre one trained perpendi- 

 cularly, shortening it to nine or ten inches. When the 

 young shoots are produced from this, the uppermost one 

 must be continued upwards, and the two next below ho- 

 rizontally as before ; continuing thus, from year to year, 

 till the tree is completely formed to the top of the wall. 



If the tree be planted against a brick wall, every third 

 horizontal joint will be a very proper distance for the 

 branches to be trained. 



In July the tree must be gone over with the knife, 

 cutting all the fore-right shoots to half an inch, and 

 nailing at length the horizontal shoots, observing to keep 

 the two sides of the tree equal. This may be easily ef- 

 fected, for if one branch should take the lead more con- 

 siderably than the others, its leader may be shortened in 

 the spring, and a new leader given to it in July. 



In the winter prunings it will be necessary to use the 

 knife freely, in order to keep down the strong spurs 

 which are annually enlarging and lengthening them- 

 selves ; for without a determination of reducing them, 

 they would, in a few years, extend a foot from the wall, 

 rendering the trees unsightly and unprofitable ; but by 

 thinning them out, and cutting them back from time to 

 time, they may readily be kept within due bounds, and 

 in a state of fruitfulness. 



