I'KOCKKUIMiS ()|- TIIK 



Aliuaiiac of tlio Soiii-ty tor the DilViision of Useful Knowledge, 

 for the year lH.i7), from Kiehard Taylor, Ks(|. 



Comptts Rnnlus, Nos. A, 4, 5, (J, Vol. for the 2in\ half 

 year, from the Academy of Sciences ut Paris. 



November 2, 184 1. 



ORDINARY MEETING. 



A Paper by Mr. Henry Grace, on Pruning Fruit Trees was 

 read. 



Tlie Autluir stated that his garden had been formed in a 

 brick-tield, on the London clay ; and th;it his first operation 

 after taking it was to cut trenches in the clay, filling them up 

 with brick drains, repeated every fifteen feet across the garden 

 and conducted into a tank. He next covered the ground with lime 

 rubbish, and street sweepings ; and trenched the whole as deep 

 as the good soil went. He then planted his trees on the ground, 

 not in it, by raising small hillocks, and placing the trees upon 

 them. After explaining in what way this operation was effected, 

 he proceeded to state, that from the nature of the soil, his trees 

 had always a tendency to luxuriant growth, which he annually 

 checked, by cutting the roots, to within two or three feet of 

 the stem, according to the size of the plant ; and he is satisfied 

 that, by suffering only fibrous roots to exist, a greater quantity 

 of blossom-buds is produced. His management of the pruning 

 was principally applied to Apple and Pear trees. His first opera- 

 tion is about the. month of J une, when the sap is rising rapidly 

 through the tree, to nip off the young shoot, to about six inches 

 in length, (the spring shoots at this period being about twelve 

 inches long.) This instantly stops the consumption of sap, 

 which is in consequence forced to the dormant eyes, or buds, on 

 the old wood ; it is also, the means of ripening the young shoots 

 much sooner : and it causes the bloom-buds immediately around 

 the shoulder, to throw forth foliage ; consequently bringing to 

 maturity numberless blossom eyes, otherwise dormant. When 

 the trees make their Midsummer shoots, the cut branches again 

 throw forth their young wood, from the upper eyes ; and in 

 case they are strong, he again nips them off. As the fruit 

 becomes ripe and gathered, he commences autumn pruning, by 

 cutting off all shoots, to within a half an inch of the shoulder, 

 taking care not to injure the leaves beneath ; thus although 



