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THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



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be laid down, as to the distance that each fruit should be 

 allowed to stand from each other ; a variety of circumstances 

 are always to be taken into consideration, such as the kind of 

 fruit, the size which it attains, the health and state of the tree, 

 &c. ; but it is always better to thin well, as the ultimate bulk 

 of fruit will not be decreased, gaining individually what is 

 lost in number, and the flavor will, consequently, be improved. 



DISBUDDING WALL-TREES. 



By disbudding is meant a species of pruning, which is per- 

 formed upon fruit-trees with good effect, and if judiciously 

 performed, will, in a great degree, obviate the necessity of 

 much winter-pruning ; while, at the same time, it disburdens 

 the trees of all superfluous shoots and leaves, and admits of a 

 greater share of nourishment being afforded, both to the fruit, 

 and also to the shoots which are laid in, for the purpose of 

 forming the tree, and producing future crops. In performing 

 this operation, some discrimination is necessary, so that no 

 fruit-buds be displaced, and that a sufficient number of wood- 

 buds be retained, and those placed in a proper position. All 

 superabundant buds are to be rubbed off" with the thumb, when 

 they have attained the length of one or two inches, by which 

 time a proper selection can be made. In regard to apples, 

 pears, plums, and cherries, which produce their fruit upon 

 spurs, these should not be disbudded until the young shoots 

 have completed two or three joints, at which time they will be 

 readily distinguished from the spurs, which only form a knot 

 furnished with a few leaves, and show no disposition to form 

 a shoot. Peaches may be operated upon sooner than most 

 other trees, as they, for the most part, produce their fruit 

 upon the young shoots of last year's growth, and seldom, 

 under good management, upon spurs. In proceeding in this 

 operation, every part of the tree should be regularly gone over, 

 and all fore-right wood displaced, leaving upon each shoot of 

 last year's growth the uppermost, undermost, and one or two at 

 regular distances between them, according to the length of the 

 shoot, the strength of the tree, and other circumstances. 

 Young trees, while in a state of training, should have their 



