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If the branches are judiciously reduced in number 

 as the tree progresses, no severe pruning will be re- 

 quired. Care, of course, must be taken to remove 

 any cross-growing, chafing branches ; and if this be 

 done whilst they are growing, and the cut is made 

 smoothly and close to the trunk, the wound will 

 speedily heal over. All dead and broken branches 

 should be removed as soon as noticed. 



Some gardeners, however, prefer a more regular 

 and systematic course of pruning, and they usually 

 adopt the following as detailed by Mr. J. Clarke, gar- 

 dener to the Earl of Lonsdale, at Whitehaven Castle, 

 Cumberland. The season for pruning, with such, 

 commences as soon as the fruit is taken off the trees, 

 and may be continued to the middle of March ; dur- 

 ing that time cut out all the ill-placed shoots, such 

 as incline to grow towards the centre, or into each 

 other, and leave untouched all those that stand in 

 such a way that the tree will form a cup, or something 

 like a well-blown tulip, all the branches standing per- 

 fectly clear of each other, so that they will bear as 

 much fruit on the inside as on the outside, the sun 

 and air getting to all parts of the tree alike. Keep 

 them as low as possible ; this may be done by remov- 

 ing a limb when it is likely to get over tall, leaving a 

 young shoot at a proper place to succeed it, and by 

 taking out a fourth or a fifth of the old wood every 

 year ; in this way your trees will always have the ap- 



