rcl>.] THE FRUIT GARDEN. 501 



ncweJ, provided care be taken to keep them fiill of young 

 wood at the lower parts of the wall. When any large branch 

 requires to be cut off, cut it close to where it arose from, 

 leaving a neat wound, which should be painted over to pre- 

 vent the moisture from getting in to cause decay. In taking 

 out a branch of any considerable size, a space will, conse- 

 quently, be left vacant upon the wall ; this space must be filled 

 up as soon as possible, and may be done by altering thp 

 l)ranches, both above and below it, bringing the one down ank 

 the other up, so as to leave the tree as entire as possible. 



Some regulation should also take place on the opposite side 

 of the tree, by altering some of the branches, in order to give 

 a degree of uniformity to the whole tree, and to keep up, as 

 it were, a true balance, so that one side may not, by becoming 

 more powerful than the other, rob it of its share of nourish- 

 ment. It will, in some cases, be even necessary to thin out 

 some of the healthy branches from the opposite side to allow 

 of this balance, and it is on this principle of practice that some 

 of the continental fruit-growers place the greatest importance. 

 When peach-trees run up, as it were, to the top of the wall, 

 leaving three-fourths of it vacant, they should be cut back as 

 far as any young shoots or buds appear. Never head them 

 down, as is done with apples or pears ; they will seldom break 

 again, and if they do, they will never be worth occupying a 

 wall with : it will be better, in such cases, to root them out, as 

 recommended last month. 



DIGGING THE GROUND AMONG GOOSEBERRIES AND CURRANTS. 



The pruning of these trees being finished, let the ground 

 among them be dug over, adding manure if necessary. Dig 

 carefully, so as not to injure the roots, and observe to bury 

 most of the dung in the centre of the intervals, in order to 

 feed the roots as they advance, that is, in cases where they 

 have been planted in quarters. If planted in straight lines, 

 or on walls, the same rule ought to be adopted, so far as not 

 to disturb other plants. As all roots are best fed at their ex- 

 tremities, we recommend this mode of applying the manure to 

 that of giving it promiscuously over all the space between the 



3 A 



