CITAPTER X. 
PRUNING. 
It is admitted by all intelligent fruit growers, 
that on a proper and jndicious system of pruning 
depends the success of a young orchard. But there 
are others, who suppose that, when the tree is in 
place, and it has started to grow, care is no longer 
required; this is not so—if vigorous, fruitful and 
well shaped trees are wanted. The following truth- 
ful statement on the necessity of a system of pruning 
is from that excellent work, “ Barry’s Fruit Garden.” 
“The idea that our bright American sun and clear 
atmosphere render pruning an almost unnecessary 
operation, has not only been inculcated by horti- 
cultural writers, but has been acted upon in practice 
to such an extent, that more than three-fourths of 
all the bearing fruit trees in the country at this 
moment, are either lean, misshaped skeletons, or the 
heads are perfect masses of wood, unable to yield 
more than one bushel in ten of fruit well matured, 
colored and ripened. This is actually the case, in 
what may be called well-managed orchards. Look 
