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their branches at full length, and, for the general part, 

 take their own natural growth, and they will soon form 

 numerous natural spurs in every part for bearing. 



In pruning the apple-tree, and all other standard 

 trees, the points of the external branches should be 

 everywhere rendered thin, and perv'ious to the light, 

 so that the internal parts of the tree may not be 

 wholly shaded by the external parts ; the light should 

 penetrate deeply into the tree on every side, but not 

 anywhere through it. When the pruner has judici- 

 ously executed his work, every part of the tree, in- 

 ternal as well as external, will be productive of fruit ; 

 and the internal part, in unfavourable seasons, will 

 rather receive protection than injury from the external 

 ones. A tree, thus pruned, will not only produce 

 much more fruit, but will also be able to support a 

 much heavier load of it, without danger of being 

 broken : for any given weight will depress the branch, 

 not simply in proportion to its quantity, but in the 

 compound proportion of its quantity, and of its hori- 

 zontal distance from the point of suspension, by a 

 mode of action similar to that of the weight on the 

 beam of the steelyard : and hence 150 lbs. suspended 

 at one foot distance from the trunk will distress the 

 branch which supports it no more than 10 lbs. at 

 15 feet distance will do. Every tree, therefore, will 

 support a larger weight of fruit, without danger of 

 being broken, in proportion as the parts of such weight 

 are made to approach nearer to its centre. 



