48 TREATISE ON THE CULTURE AND 



with your finger and thumb, all the superfluous young shoots ; 

 leaving from three to six eyes on each shoot, according to the 

 size and strength of the branch cut. These shoots will bear 

 from three to four years ; by which time they will be pretty 

 much exhausted by the great quantity of fruit produced from 

 them ; they should then be cut down to two eyes to produce 

 new wood. 



I always leave three different years' branches on the tree, 

 when the first shoot is cut off at e, \See Plate 6. Fig, 2.] 

 You will observe the next shoot to be lull of fruit-buds, if 

 it has not been shortened ; when it begins to grow weak, cut 

 it off at^. The next cutting must be at z, when the branch h 

 is tired of bearing. Proceed thus all over the tree with care 

 and attention, and you vrill soon perceive the advantages of this 

 method of pruning above the the common mode ; for by it vou 

 will be able to keep your trees in a constant state of bearing, 

 which if left to nature, would only produce a crop of fruit 

 once in two or three years^. Alwavs remember, when the 

 shoot that has done bearing is cut off, to apply the composition 

 immediately, and to rub off the shoots where they are too 

 numerous. 



The best time to prune apple-trees Is in the month of 

 April, or in ^lay, after the peaches, nectarines, and cherries 

 are prune df. 



The small shoots that cross each other should be cut off, 

 leaving the strongest to fill up the tree, and make a fine hand- 

 some head. The suckers that spring from the root should be 

 carefully grubbed up, and the side-shoots from the stem cut 

 off ; for, if left to grov/, they will greatly weaken the tree. 

 The knobs, where old branches have been cut off, should also 

 be pared away, leaving the surface of the tree as smooth as 

 possible; then aDply the composition; the young bark will soon 

 begin to grow, and by degrees cover the old wounds with a 



* This is the canse of the frequent failure in crops, and not anv perverse- 

 ness in the stars, as the old women imagine. Mr. Forsyth's trees never fail. 

 His trees, of all sorts were full of fruit, while it seemed in other gardens, 

 to be a matter of chance. 



t Soon after this pruning, about the middle of Mar (same time for Ame- 

 rica) it will be proper to look over the trees, and to pick off any caterpillars 

 that may be on them. 



You will then see what shoots are infected with the canker, and which 

 might have escaped your notice at the time of pruning; and, wherever you 

 observe the least appearance of infection, which may be known by the wood 

 appearing of a brownish colour, the shoot must be cut down till you come \o 

 the sound white v. cod. 



