238 PRUNING. 



in forcing houses and frames, on walls and as espaliers, 

 in which the naturally rotund form of the head is 

 dilated on a superficial plane, make the use of the 

 knife indispensable. We not only endeavour to make 

 a tree fruitful, hut must also keep it within the bounds 

 allotted to it. Confined to the artificial position im- 

 posed, the tree is ever endeavouring to regain its 

 natural form by the production of fore-right shoots or 

 breastwood. Part of this is preserved to fill up 

 vacancies, and to keep up a due supply of bearing 

 wood in every part of the tree ; the rest is periodi- 

 cally cut away. 



In this requisite treatment it is, however, better 

 to direct the growth by displacing irregular or redun- 

 dant shoots on their first appearance, or even while 

 in the state of buds, than to allow many shoots to be 

 produced which must ultimately be cut off. Such 

 manipulation can only be executed on such fruit trees 

 as are so placed as to be under immediate control, 

 viz. all trees in houses, on walls, espaliers, or such 

 other dwarfed forms as may be adopted in the garden 

 or orchard. In this business the manager has to 

 distinguish between the treatment necessary for the 

 encouragement of the general growth of the tree, 

 and that subdued degree of it which is requisite to 

 its fertility, and the reduced volume which its limited 

 situation and artificial form require. If both the 

 root and head be allowed to advance without a suffi- 

 cient check, both will be excited into greater action 

 than is suitable for its limited space, and the knife 



