PLANK. 



9 



Should more than one leader appear from the 

 time of planting the tree till it attain the required 

 height for the plank, shorten all but the most pro- 

 mising one down to the condition of feeders, making 

 the section immediately above a twig, preferring one 

 which takes a lateral or horizontal direction. Vide 

 dotted line crossing a, a. 



Should any feeder, below the reqviired height, be- 

 come enlarged beyond its compeers, such as B, re- 

 duce it to equality (vide dotted line), or prune it close 

 off, if this should be necessary to the symmetry of 

 the tree. 



Cut off, close by the trunk, all shoots which rise 

 at a very acute angle with the main stem, such as C. 

 There is a triple reason for this ; they rise up and 

 interfere with the more regular horizontal feeders, 

 tending also to become leaders ; they do not form a 

 proper junction with the stem, by reason of the 

 wood, as it swells, not being able to throw up the 

 bark out of the narrow angle ; thence the bark of 

 both stem and branch is enclosed in the confined 

 breek, and the wood never unites thence disease is 



* There are several valuable varieties of apple-trees of acute 

 branch angle, which do not throw up the bark of the breeks ; 

 this either occasions the branches to split down when loaded 

 with fruit, or, if they escape this for a few years, the confined 

 bark becomes putrid, and produces canker, which generally ruins 



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