Jan.] 



THE TRUIT GARDEN. 



347 



they Averc laid in at full length, the bottom and heart of the 

 tree would thereby become thin, and indeed naked of such 

 shoots ; and the nature of most stone-fruits is such, that am- 

 putations of large branches are dangerous, producing gum, 

 canker, and finally death. But this is more particularly the 

 case with peaches and nectai-ines ; therefore a supply of young 

 wood should be encouraged, and is easily obtained at the bot- 

 tom and in the middle of the trees, by attending to shorten 

 the greater part of the shoots, and retaining the young ones 

 thus produced, in such proportion as may be deemed neces- 

 sary for keeping up the supply. At the more extreme parts 

 of the trees, this shortening is less important, particularly in 

 old trees, or such as have filled their allotted space of the 

 wall ; but where such have been injured by frost, milde-vv, or 

 other accidents, they should be always cut back, until the 

 wood appears quite sound and perfect. Where this is not the 

 case, it will be readily seen by the color of the wood, which 

 will appear brown, or cankered to the pith. Sometimes this 

 appearance will run back to where the branch issues from the 

 leader ; in such case, remove it entirely, as there is little chance 

 of a healthy supply of shoots being produced from such a 

 diseased branch ; but in cases where the entire removal oi 

 such a branch will deform the tree, and no branch can be 

 brought in to succeed, without crossing some of the larger 

 branches, then, one or two wood-buds may be lefl at the base 

 of the shoot ; if they break strong, and the tree be otherwise 

 in good health, there will be a chance of providing a shoot or 

 two, that, with proper care, may fill up the space required. 

 In trees of gross habits, that is, such as are growing too luxu- 

 riantly, the knife should be used with care, as the more they 

 are cut, the more will they be encouraged to grow. In such 

 cases, shorten only the tips of the branches, and lay in as 

 much wood as can conveniently be done ; this will soon cor- 

 rect the gross habit of growth, and throw them into a fruit- 

 bearing state. 



All trees naturally grow strongest at their extremities, whe- 

 ther they be young or old ; it therefore follows, that we should 

 exercise the knife less freely there, and more freely in the 

 lower and middle parts, in order to counteract this propen-siiy. 



