40 



from, The trees at planting should he primed rather 

 close, making a selection of twigs so placed as to form 

 the main fabric of the future tree ; and these should 

 be shortened in planting to four or five buds each. 

 Those trees which, from their own natural habit, be" 

 come over-crowded with young sprays, should have a 

 slight thinning occasionally in their earlier stages; and 

 in doing so, the middle of the tree should be kept 

 rather open for a while, in order to admit light to 

 solidify and strengthen the surrounding shoots, whilst 

 the tree is in course of forming. We should consider 

 that a little pruning would be beneficial every two 

 years, even after the trees are established ; such, 

 however, we fear, would by many be thought trouble- 

 some ; yet, when it is considered how light the task 

 would be from its frequency, the objections will be 

 found to possess little validity. Such pruning would 

 be confined to the removal, in due time, of branches 

 in thick parts of the tree, thwarting or chafing each 

 other ; and to a light thinning of the superfluous 

 sprays, in order to give stability to the different parts 

 of the tree, and to facilitate the swelling of the fruit, 

 which, when choked with competing shoots, can never 

 attain to a due amount of perfection. 



When the orchard has come into full bearing, very 

 little pruning will be necessary; it will for a few years 

 almost prune itself. After a lapse of years, together 

 with heavy crops, the trees will become rather languid; 



