THE APPLE AND THE PEAE. 



205 



times throws the growth into one side or one branch of a 

 joung tree, and produces a deformity from which it never 

 recovers. The trunk must be kept clear of all shoots, by 

 rubbing off such as appear at the earliest possible moment, 

 when it can be done without the use of a knife. Suppos- 

 ing we commenced the head with three branches at time 

 of planting, there will be at the end of the first season, six. 



The attention required after this will be to maintain an 

 uniform growth among these six branches, and their mem- 

 bers and divisions, and to prevent the growth of shoots in 

 the centre. The leading defect in all our orchard trees is 

 too much wood^ the heads are kept so dense with small 

 shoots that the sun and air are in a great measure ex- 

 cluded, and the fruit on the outside of the tree only is 

 marketable or fit for use. The head should be.kept open, 

 rather in the form of a vase, so that the wood, leaves, 

 blossoms and fruit may all, on every^ part, enjoy the full 

 benefit of the sun and air, without which they cannot per- 

 form their functions, or maintain maturity and perfection. 



Too many people imagine that trees 

 can take care of themselves, as trees in 

 the forest, on the ground that nature 

 preserves a balance in all her works ; but 

 it should be borne in mind that a fruit 

 tree is not exactly a natural production. 

 It is far removed from the natural state 

 by culture, and the farther it is removed, 

 that is, the more its nature is refined 

 and improved, the more care it requires. 

 Fig. 103 represents a young standard 

 pear tree, stem four feet high, and the 

 head twice cut back, as at the letters a 



•17 A young standard pear 



^' tree, trunk 4 feet high, 



PinoTiing. — If this be properly at- ^''^^^ formed on three main 



T T , 1 . r. • branches, twice pruned aa 



tended to, very little kniie prunmg will at « and 6 



Fig. 103 



