THE GARDENER. 



49 



to the patient, so a pruning blade used by a bungling 

 gardener will occasion extensive injuries to the vege- 

 table unskilfully operated upon. They who under- 

 take delicate operations, therefore, ought first to have 

 the necessary qualifications for performing them. I 

 shall say as much upon the subject of pruning, &c. as 

 may tend to give to the unskilled gardener the neces- 

 sary elementary information. 



What is termed winter pruning — which alone need 

 be adverted to in explanation of the general theory — 

 should not be postponed to spring when the sap is 

 circulating (unless in some peculiar case when it is 

 expedient to do so, in order to subdue too much luxu- 

 riance in the tree,) because pruning then would de- 

 range the regular system of vegetation, and produce 

 injury accordingly ; some trees are in danger of 

 bleeding to death, if pruned when the sap is flow- 

 ing. The vine is very tender in this particular when 

 its vessels are filled with sap, because they have not a 

 sufficient power of contraction to arrest the flow — - 

 death succeeds from the exhaustion of the vital fluid.* 

 The first thing, then, to examine, is the peculiar 

 nature of the plant to be submitted to the operation, 

 and the particular mode of pruning that its habits may 

 require : for example, the fruit of the fig and walnut 

 trees is developed on the wood of the same season ; 

 of the peach and nectarine on that of the second year ; 

 that of pears, &c. generally on the wood of the shoot of 



* The vine is most remarkable for delicacy in this point. 

 Mr. Knight, who had reason to believe that there was no remedy 

 previously known to gardeners for staunching the discharge of 

 sap, found the following compound eflPective for the purpose : 

 viz. Four parts of grated cheese, and one of calcined and pow- 

 dered oyster shells, or any pure calcareous earth : he applied 

 this mixture, which proved so powerful in checking the discharge 

 of sap, that he could safely amputate a branch at any season by 

 making use of it. 



