1908.] 



Advantages of Goat-Keeping. 



711 



In the first place, a distinction should be drawn between trees 

 planted in autumn and those planted in spring ; the former 

 being pruned at once, and the latter not until the upper buds 

 have broken well into growth. Secondly, pruning should 

 always be to an outside bud, in order to throw the resulting 

 upper shoot out from the tree instead of inwards. Thus, the 

 crossing, and consequent rubbing, which results when some 

 branches are growing towards the centre of the tree, and some 

 away from it, are avoided. Thirdly, a sharp tool should always 

 be used, in order that a clean cut, which will quickly heal, may 

 be made. Fourthly, weak growers should be pruned more 

 severely than strong ones. It is unwise to head back bushes 

 of such vigorous apples as Annie Elizabeth, Blenheim Orange, 

 Bramley's Seedling and Emperor Alexander repeatedly, because 

 it tends to fill them with gross wood. Varieties of this character 

 should be restricted to a given number of shoots (twelve will 

 suffice) well clear of each other, all others being cut clean out. 

 Only the soft tips of the permanent branches should be pruned 

 in. If there are any fruit buds on them when purchased, 

 which is unlikely, they may be picked off. This class is slow 

 to come into bearing, but crops abundantly when the wood 

 gets well matured, and has developed its spurs. 



Soft fruits, such as currants and gooseberries, may be 

 developed in much the same way as hard fruits. Both are 

 raised from cuttings inserted in late summer or early autumn. 

 In the nurseries they are lifted, and root and branch pruned, 

 a year after insertion. At the end of another year's growth 

 the shoots are again shortened, and so the foundation of a 

 vigorous, open bush is secured. 



In the present paper attention has been restricted to the 

 development of young trees ; in a second one the pruning of 

 established trees of all the principal kinds will be discussed. 



ADVANTAGES OF GOAT-KEEPING. 

 " Home Counties." 

 Although goats have long been kept in this country, it is 

 only ^of recent years that " the poor man's cow " has begun 

 to receive public recognition in Great Britain. Goats are now 

 exhibited in some numbers at the Dairy Show and at many of the 



