PREFACE. 



When jToung trees are planted out from the nursery, as^ 

 soon as they begin to break in the spring, they are cut down tc 

 three or four eyes, according to their strength, to furnish them 

 with bearing wood : If this were not done, they would run up 

 in long naked branches, and would not produce one quarter of 

 the fruit which they do when this operation is properly per- 

 formed. The same holds good in heading all kinds of old 

 trees. 



An opinion prevails, particularly in those parts where ap- 

 ple-trees are cultivated to any considerable extent^ that trees 

 never bear well after heading-^do^Vn, and that ir frequently kills 

 them. This may," no doubt, sometimes happen when they are 

 improperly headed-dov^^n all at once, by giving a sudden check 

 to the sap, the few weak shoots not having strength to draw up 

 w^hat is supplied by the roots ; and moreover, not being capable 

 of sheltering one another, they are chilled by the cold, and so 

 rendered at least unproductive, if they are not totally killed* 

 But if heading were done graduall)^, that is, if every other 

 branch all over the tree were headed at a proper length, cutting 

 as near to those parts where the shoots appear as possible, in 

 the month of February or March^ or even as late as May 

 in the course of the summer they would throw out fine long 

 shoots. These should not be shortened' the first year, unless 

 it be necessary to shbrten a few to fill up the head of the tree 

 with bearing wood, and that should be done in the following 

 spring; cutting them to six or eight inches long, according to 

 their strength. In the next spring after the first branches are 

 headed, the remaining old branches may be cut out ; and these 

 will soon fill the head of the tree with fine bearing wood. In 

 three years, if properly managed, trees so headed will produce 

 a much greater quantity of fruit and of a better quality than 

 they did before the operation was performed... 



* In the Middle States of America this operation should never be per- 

 formed till the middle of March, and not later than the 20th of April. 



