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Necessity for full pruning. — Sometimes the tree loses its leaves, the 

 ends of the branches wither, and scarcely any berries are produced. This 

 is due to neglect of opening, and the only remedy is full pruning. 



t Half pruning. — Pruning consists in cutting off what does not agree 

 with the natural shape of the tree, and in preserving what corresponds 

 with it. In warm situations and on good soil, nothing is really necessary 

 but opening, but if this has been neglected "half- pruning" must be em- 

 ployed. 



First, whatever is rotten, withered, or broken, must be taken off, al- 

 ways remembering the method of "reproduction of boughs." Next, the 

 gormandising, vertical and cross branches, as well as those which are too 

 numerous and those which do not grow in natural directions/must be 

 plucked off, or cut, if too strong. If the head is rotten or spoiled, it 

 must be sawed off, but only just to where it is sound. The top and the 

 centre must be particularly laid open to admit the sun and air Lastly, 

 if the tree is still too thick, some secondary bra? ches, those which diverge 

 most from the natural direction, must be taken out, for the primary 

 boughs ought not to be touched. 



Full Pruning. — Full pruning must never be employed except in cool 

 situations. Trees which require this process are usually so thick and 

 intricate, especially at the top, that the pruner is at a loss where and 

 how to begin. The top must first be cleared by plucking all the small 

 branches that abound in every direction. Next, crooked large branches 

 as they are met with, must be cut. Lastly, if the head is rotten, it 

 must be sawed, without sacrificing the least portion of what is sound. 



The whole tree is then easily seen, and what is to be preserved or cut, 

 will not escape notice. 



All the primary boughs which have kept their natural direction must 

 be preserved, for this reason, that once cut, they never grow again. 

 However, if they are entirely broken or spoiled at their rise, they must 

 be cut off, or if they have taken a wrong or cross direction at their 

 origin, they must be removed, if it is quite certain that they can be 

 spared. If there is a single knot sound and well directed, and still 

 more, if there are two or four, these must be preserved. If the farthest 

 knot has a good secondary branch, it must be treated as explained under 

 " reproducion of boughs". If it has not, it must still be left, for it 

 will bear several twigs, the best of which may be chosen, in the next 

 operation, to make up the main bough. Thus all the boughs must be ex- 

 amined from above downwards, and treated as required. 



Lastly, where the situation is exceedingly cool, and the trees are de- 

 cayed into barreness, from the great overload of wood, ail the boughs 

 must be stripped of their secondary branches, both with a view to renew 

 the fruit-bearing ones, and to give a stronger direction to the sap ; as 

 also, if the extremities of the boughs are withered, as happens in the 

 trees stripped of their leaves, from severity of cold, or if they interfere 

 with the neighbouring trees, they must be pruned and shortened. 



Feathering or Nipping — A few days after the pruning has been 

 performed, crowds of small twigs appear all over the wounded surfaces ; 

 and the excess must be removed, or the last state of the tree will be 

 worst than the first, and it will be unable to support the luxuriance of 

 growth. The nipping off the young growths must be guided by the 



